Burger King adds delivery in Atlanta, Fresno

Burger King Worldwide Inc. has expanded its BK Delivers program to two new markets: Atlanta and Fresno, Calif., the company said Tuesday.

The Miami-based chain with more than 7,400 locations in the United States and Canada now has its Web- or phone-based delivery service in more than a dozen major metropolitan markets.

BK Delivers continues to perform well in markets such as Boston, New York, Miami and Chicago, and Northern California markets like the San Francisco Bay Area and Sacramento. That is according to Burger King’s manager of retail innovation, Nathan Chiantella, in a statement.

“As its popularity has grown,” he said, “we have seen an increasing demand for the program in other markets, and the Burger King brand is excited to offer our loyal fans in [Fresno and Atlanta] the opportunity to enjoy the food they love, delivered to their preferred destination.”

Guests can customize and save orders by visiting BKDelivers.com or by calling (855) ORDER-BK. The delivery service also has a loyalty function that rewards users with free sandwiches for increased use. Burger King said it developed special packaging and temperature-controlled delivery bags for keeping burgers and fries warm in transit to customers’ houses or offices.

Deliveries require a minimum check of $10 and must be placed between 11 a.m. and 10 p.m., Burger King said.

The chain first tested delivery at the beginning of 2012 in Washington, D.C. From there, the service expanded to Miami and Houston in November of that year, before rolling out in Chicago, Los Angeles and San Francisco the following April.

Analysts have praised Burger King’s test of delivery as a “bold move" that could make sense in densely populated urban areas where drive thrus are not always feasible. However, brands and observers also noted that moving into delivery has its challenges, not the least of which include packaging, food quality and special labor cost concerns.

Other markets for BK Delivers include San Jose, Calif.; Tucson, Ariz.; Salt Lake City; Minneapolis; and Denver.

The chain is nearly 100-percent franchised and has more than 13,200 restaurants across the world.

Contact Mark Brandau at [email protected].
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