Burger King Insists It’s Not Setting Up Shop In Canada


If you were ridiculously worried that Burger King was packing up and taking its fast food empire to Canada, then you can breathe a sigh of relief.

In case you haven’t heard, Burger King and Canadian donut peddler Tim Hortons are joining forces. Although some people rejoiced upon hearing the announcement, others were more than a little concerned about BK’s future in the United States. Since Tim Hortons operates north of the U.S. border, does that mean the fast food giant is biding farewell to the land of the free? Perish the thought!

According to PolitiFact, your proposed Burger King boycott isn’t necessary. While BK is teaming up with Tim Hortons in a bid to fill your gastrointestinal system with all sorts of tasty treats, the burger joint will continue to operate within the United States. Furthermore, the company will still pay taxes to the federal government. In other words, your loyalty to the United States of America will not derail your obsession with the Whopper.

A Burger King rep recently attempted to set the record straight.

“We hear you. We’re not moving, we’re just growing and finding ways to serve you better. As part of the announcement made today, both Burger King Corp. and Tim Hortons will continue to operate as independent brands. We’ll just be under common ownership. Our headquarters will remain in Miami where we were founded more than 60 years ago and business will continue as usual at our restaurants around the world.”

The statement continued:

“The decision to create a new global QSR leader with Tim Hortons is not tax-driven – it’s about global growth for both brands. BKC will continue to pay all of our federal, state and local U.S. taxes. We’re proud of the heritage of Burger King and will maintain our long-standing commitment to our employees, franchisees and the local communities we serve. The Whopper isn’t going anywhere.”

Of course, moving to Canada would certainly have its benefits. FiveThirtyEight points out that Burger King could save roughly $8.1 million by heading north as a result of something called tax inversion. In other words, “change its domicile to Canada and, potentially, save on corporate income taxes.” Companies obviously love money, but Burger King probably doesn’t want to alienate customers by leaving the United States.

If you think the Burger King boycott is a joke, then you haven’t paid much attention to social media. According to the Chicago Tribune, BK fans were not happy about the potential move. As a result, some folks — including Ohio Democratic Sen. Sherrod Brown — planned to boycott BK outright. Thankfully, disgruntled Americans will have to put the torches back in the closet until the next fast food-related crises rears its ugly head.

Are you glad Burger King isn’t moving to Canada?

[Lead image via The Mirror]

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