Burger King Holdings Inc. said its worldwide same-store sales fell in the fourth quarter, primarily a result of weak U.S. results.
Burger King’s global same-store sales declined 3.7 percent in the fourth quarter, which included declines of 5.8 percent in the United States and Canada and 1.8 percent in the Europe, Middle East, Africa and Asia Pacific, or EMEA/APAC, region. Fourth-quarter same-store sales rose 5.6 percent at the chain’s Latin America restaurants.
For the quarter ended Dec. 31, same-store sales in the U.S. lapped a 3.3-percent decline last year, when the chain was promoting a $1 double cheeseburger and other value deals, Burger King said in a filing made this month with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
For the full year, Burger King’s global same-store sales fell 2.4 percent, which reflected a 4.4-percent decline in the U.S. and increases of 0.2 percent in EMEA/APAC and 3.8 percent in Latin America.
At the end of 2010, Burger King operated or franchised 12,251 restaurants.
Miami-based Burger King was taken private last fall in a $4 billion acquisition by investment firm 3G Capital.
Contact Molly Gise at [email protected].