Burger King UK acquires 34-strong Kout Food Group BK estate: BK UK Group, the master franchisee for Burger King in the UK, has further strengthened its company-owned restaurant estate with the acquisition of 34 sites from Kout Food Group for an undisclosed sum. The acquisition, the second this month for the Alasdair Murdoch-led business, increases Burger King UK’s company-owned portfolio to 136 restaurants, within a total UK estate of 517 sites. Propel understands the 34 acquired sites, which are spread across the UK, comprise a mixture of drive-thrus, out-of-town, leisure and high street sites. With double-digit growth in restaurant numbers in the past two years, BK UK, which is backed by Bridgepoint, said it was committed to organic growth and rolling out the Burger King brand further, as part of wider plans to continue to revitalise the brand across the UK. Murdoch, chief executive of Burger King UK, said: “This significant acquisition is a great way for us to end 2019, and demonstrates our commitment to growth of the brand. I would like to thank Kout Food Group for its support along with the enormous contribution it has made to Burger King in the UK over the past ten years. The restaurants have been run in an exemplary way and we welcome the restaurant teams as they become part of an ever-growing BK UK Group.” BK UK was formed after a joint-venture deal was agreed between Restaurant Brands International and Bridgepoint Capital in November 2017. On its creation, BK UK Group acquired Caspian UK Group, one of the UK’s largest Burger King franchisees with 74 restaurants. During the past two years it has also opened circa 20 company-owned sites. Earlier this month, BK UK Group purchased an eight-strong business in Oxford and Bristol from the Silver family. Murdoch told Propel the company had been in double-digit sales growth since April, helped by the launch earlier this year of its first UK Whopper campaign in more than a decade and delivery sales through Deliveroo and Just Eat. On the back of the sale of its 34 UK Burger King sites, Kout Food Group continues to own and operate 78 Burger King restaurants in Kuwait. It sold its roadside Burger King UK sites a few years ago to Euro Garages.

Domino’s Pizza chief financial officer dies in ‘tragic accident’: David Bauernfeind, the finance boss of Domino's Pizza, has died in an apparent drowning tragedy in Mauritius. Bauernfeind was enjoying a Christmas break with his family when his body was discovered in a lagoon off Belle-Mare on Boxing Day. He had gone snorkelling and is believed to have got into difficulties in strong currents. Domino's Pizza, which he joined just over a year ago from Connect Group, confirmed local police were treating the death as a drowning. “Domino's Pizza Group is deeply saddened to announce our chief financial officer, David Bauernfeind, died in a tragic accident on Thursday, 26 December while on holiday with his family," it said. Chief executive David Wild added: “We are all deeply shocked and saddened by this tragic news. On behalf of our board, our colleagues and our franchisees, we send our heartfelt sympathies to David's wife Nicolette and daughter Ornella as well as his wider family and friends.”