Burger King controversies

Bengaluru municipal authorities fine Nexus Mall food outlets Rs 85,000 for waste protocol breaches

Fine or penalty

Officials under the Bengaluru South City Corporation inspected Nexus Mall in Koramangala, BTM Assembly Constituency, and found multiple eateries failing to segregate wet and dry waste and using banned single-use plastic. Authorities issued notices and collected a cumulative fine of Rs 85,000 from 10 food establishments, including Chaska Bun (Rs 25,000), McDonald's, Burger King, Fish and Chips (Rs 10,000 each), and Popeyes, Good Flippin' Burgers, Wow Wow China, Nagas, KFC and Shiv Sagar (Rs 5,000 each).

Blackface incident at Burger King drive-through

Issue disclosure

A controversy involving Burger King arose after an employee was filmed wearing blackface makeup while serving customers at a Minnesota drive-through on Halloween. Burger King stated that the franchisee was addressing the incident with the restaurant team, manager and employee. The company did not disclose the outcome of that process. The event drew attention to the incident at the drive-through location in Minnesota.

A Burger King employee was filmed wearing blackface makeup while serving customers at a Minnesota drive-through on Halloween. Burger King said the franchisee was addressing the incident with the restaurant team, manager and employee; the company did not disclose the outcome.

Continuing Russian franchise links after the announced withdrawal

Burger King said it had suspended corporate support in Russia after the invasion of Ukraine. Investigative reporting later stated that the company retained economic and contractual links to the Russian franchise network through a joint venture structure, prompting criticism of the announced withdrawal.

Burger King workers walk out to protest conditions in Gig Harbor

Public backlash

Workers at the Burger King in Gig Harbor walked out and closed the restaurant, saying they were protesting conditions and echoing other fast-food worker walkouts. The article does not specify the conditions they protested.

Burger King responds to workplace conditions at a location

Company response

After employees at a Lincoln, Nebraska Burger King location quit and said they were fed up with understaffing and having to work without air conditioning, Burger King said the experience described was not in line with its brand values and promised to prevent a recurrence.

Customer files personal injury lawsuit against Burger King

Lawsuit filed

A customer filed a personal injury lawsuit against Burger King concerning a 2019 fall at a Joliet restaurant. The lawsuit alleges that the customer slipped on melting ice and beverage liquids near a dispenser and that employees failed to maintain the area.

Burger King UK apologizes for tweet about women

Company response

Burger King UK apologized for an earlier tweet stating “Women belong in the kitchen” and said it deleted the original tweet after its apology because abusive comments appeared in the thread.

Burger King faces backlash over International Women’s Day tweet

Public backlash

Burger King faced public criticism after its U.K. account tweeted “Women belong in the kitchen” to draw attention to its scholarship program for female employees. The campaign also used the line in a full-page New York Times advertisement; critics called the messaging sexist and tone-deaf.

Stated objective. Draw attention to the lack of female representation in the restaurant industry and promote a scholarship program for female employees.

Burger King China responds to expired-ingredients report

Company response

In 2020, after a report alleged that staff at a Nanchang Burger King restaurant tampered with labels to keep ingredients beyond the permitted period, Burger King China apologized and said it would cooperate with investigations. The company also said the reported location had been temporarily closed for the investigation. The response addressed the labeling allegations concerning the Nanchang restaurant and stated the company's intention to work with authorities, while noting the temporary closure of the location named in the report.

Burger King China revokes franchise rights and closes a Nanchang restaurant

Company response

Burger King China addressed management problems at its Nanchang franchise operator by deciding to permanently close the operator's Beijing East Road restaurant and to cancel the operator's eligibility for future franchise authorizations. The company also allowed the operator's other restaurants to reopen after rectification and after meeting government and Burger King requirements. The decision concerned the Nanchang franchise operator and its restaurants, with the Beijing East Road location permanently closed and the remaining locations permitted to resume operations once the stated conditions were satisfied.

In response to management problems at the Nanchang franchise operator, Burger King decided to permanently close the operator's Beijing East Road restaurant, cancel its eligibility for future franchise authorizations, and allow its other restaurants to reopen after rectification and meeting government and Burger King requirements.

Nanchang Burger King restaurants fined over food-safety violations

Fine or penalty

In 2020, Nanchang market regulators fined six restaurants operating under the Burger King name after finding that all six had used expired food ingredients. One of the restaurants was also found to have shortchanged customers in burger preparation. The penalties totaled 916,504.02 yuan for the restaurants and 2,816,029.78 yuan for responsible individuals at the franchise operator.

Burger King Employees Strike and Protest Over COVID-19 Safety Concerns

Public backlash

Employees at a Burger King location in Santa Monica went on strike after a coworker died of coronavirus. On Friday, a group of employees protested outside the store. A complaint alleged that the restaurant failed to provide fresh masks and ignored social-distancing guidelines and health protocols. These are allegations reported in the article and do not constitute established findings.

Employees at a Santa Monica Burger King went on strike after a coworker died of coronavirus. On Friday, a group of employees protested outside the store. A complaint alleged that the restaurant failed to provide fresh masks and ignored social-distancing guidelines and health protocols; these are allegations reported in the article.

Tax-inversion criticism surrounding the Tim Hortons transaction

The combination with Tim Hortons was criticized by United States politicians and commentators because the resulting parent company was based in Canada and the transaction was discussed as a tax inversion.

Consumers threaten boycott over proposed Burger King–Tim Hortons deal

Public backlash

Some Burger King customers threatened to boycott the brand over the proposed Tim Hortons deal, which they viewed as a move to avoid U.S. taxes. Some Canadian consumers also condemned Burger King's proposed acquisition of Tim Hortons.