American multinational hamburger fast-food chain, Burger King, is expected to start its operations in Nigeria by the fourth quarter of 2021.
This was disclosed recently by Antoine Zammarieh, the Franchisee of Burger King in Nigeria and Managing Director, Allied Food & Confectionary Services Limited.
He was quoted as saying, “Burger King will start operations by Autumn, i.e between September and November 2021. We have set up the Quality Control unit and have met some of our local suppliers to seal the deal. Also, we have sent some of the ingredients to America to test quality.
“As a company, we are delighted to enter this new market being the largest country in Africa and are looking forward to serving our future guests with our world-famous Burger King meals.
“Most importantly, our goal is to positively contribute to the economy by creating more jobs and employment opportunities. In five years, we hope to directly or indirectly employ between 5,000 and 6,000 people in Nigeria.”
According to Zammarieh, Burger King had signed a development agreement for the Nigerian market.
He explained that the development agreement of the chain in Nigeria, which was recently signed, would give more confidence to the Nigerian market and consumers in general, especially during these hard times.
Zammarieh, in an earlier report, had said, “I always believed in Nigeria and its people. I am confident this venture will go a long way and prove successful for Burger King, Nigeria, and our company.
“I believe this will be a tremendous step towards giving more confidence to the Nigerian market and consumers in general.”
The first outlet of the hamburger chain in Nigeria is expected to be launched in Lagos.
This comes amid concerns over the ease of doing business in Nigeria with several companies opting for neighbouring countries perceived to have a business-friendly atmosphere.