Which company acquired Burger King in 1967, helping launch its international expansion?

The Pillsbury Company acquired Burger King in 1967, helping launch its international expansion.

Burger King began as Insta-Burger King in Jacksonville, Florida, in 1953. After financial difficulties, the business was reorganized and renamed Burger King. The Pillsbury Company purchased the chain in 1967, bringing it under the ownership of a large packaged-food company.

Under Pillsbury, Burger King expanded its restaurant network and developed a stronger national and international presence. The acquisition also placed Burger King in a corporate portfolio alongside other food businesses. This period included significant growth of the Whopper and the franchise system.

The company later passed through several owners before becoming part of Restaurant Brands International. Because Burger King has changed ownership multiple times, people sometimes mistake its present parent company for the company that acquired it in 1967. The historically correct buyer in that year was Pillsbury.