What was Burger King called when it opened in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1953?

Burger King was called Insta-Burger King when it opened in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1953.

Keith Kramer and his wife’s uncle, Matthew Burns, founded the business after developing the Insta-Broiler, a cooking machine that broiled meat patties. Their first restaurant used the name Insta-Burger King and relied on the machine as part of its operating model.

The company later encountered financial difficulties. David Edgerton and James McLamore acquired the business in 1954, improved its equipment, and shortened the name to Burger King. That change helped distinguish the growing chain from its original equipment-centered identity.

A common mix-up is dating Burger King’s founding to 1954, the year Edgerton and McLamore acquired the struggling company. The 1953 Jacksonville opening belongs to the earlier Insta-Burger King operation, while the modern Burger King expansion followed the 1954 takeover.