Burger King Israel

Burger King operates both kosher and non-kosher restaurants in Israel, with certification identified separately for individual branches.[7][8] In October 2026, the operation had 19 restaurants, including 12 kosher branches, and was seeking to expand through neighborhood commercial centers, major thoroughfares, and Delek-owned fuel stations.[9] Its menu combines the international brand’s products with local preferences, including spicy offerings and products suited to kosher dining.[9]

The chain forms part of Israel’s established market for international fast-food brands: by fiscal year 1999, Burger King was among the companies with a strong presence in a fast-food franchising market in which American companies held more than half the business.[2] Its subsequent history included insolvency and acquisition by local operators, followed by replacement by Burger Ranch in 2010.[10][4] Burger King relaunched with a new restaurant network in 2016.[1]

Sources place Burger King’s first entry into Israel in either 1993 or 1994, during a period of increased international expansion by the parent company.[11][12] That wider expansion followed the conversion of 200 Wimpey restaurants into Burger Kings in 1990, strengthening foreign operations that had previously been a relative weakness for the company.[12]

The original Israeli business was associated with Meshulam Riklis, Yair Hasson, and the vehicle company Kamor.[10] Hasson held a 25% stake and served as the Israeli operation’s chair, while Kobi Hayoun managed the chain until 1998.[10] In 1998, Hasson and Riklis acquired Kamor’s interest at a company valuation of $14.8 million; Hasson sold his own stake to Riklis in 2001.[10]

The chain’s arrival coincided with the growth of franchising in Israel, particularly in fast food, following its introduction in the mid-1980s.[2] By fiscal year 1999, American companies accounted for more than 50% of Israel’s fast-food franchising market.[2] The prevailing arrangement in Israeli franchising involved a main franchisee operating branches around the country, although the commercial guide describing that pattern did not establish that it applied specifically to Burger King.[2]

In 2003, Burger King Israel entered insolvency proceedings, and Eli and Yuval Orgad acquired the business for NIS 30 million when it had 56 restaurants.[10] Later accounts put its debts at NIS 98 million.[10] The Orgad brothers initially retained the Burger King name and operated the business separately from Burger Ranch, which they acquired in 2008.[4][13]

In May 2010, the brothers decided to discontinue Burger King in Israel and convert its restaurants to Burger Ranch.[4] At the time, the two networks comprised 55 Burger King branches and 52 Burger Ranch outlets.[4] The 55 Burger King outlets were rebranded as Burger Ranch, and later reporting put the combined network at 107 branches.[4][10]

The conversion eliminated payments for the international franchise.[4] Annual royalties had been estimated at approximately NIS 8.5 million against Israeli sales of about NIS 170 million, and the costs of royalties and international operating requirements contributed to the decision to leave the brand.[14] The brothers said research and taste tests supported retaining the Israeli brand.[11]

Burger Ranch opened its first branch on Ben-Yehuda Street in Tel Aviv in 1972.[11]

A proposed return emerged in 2014, when a group led by former Israeli operator Yair Hasson and investor Rani Zim negotiated to acquire 51 Burger Ranch restaurants and convert them to Burger King.[11] The proposed acquisition price was NIS 50–60 million, with a further estimated NIS 60 million for rebuilding the restaurants.[11] The international company was reported to be offering an unsecured $18 million loan, and the investors were expected to reach 100 branches within five years; however, the transaction remained unsigned and at the draft-exchange stage.[11]

In June 2015, an investor group led by French-Jewish businessman Pierre Besnainou obtained the Israeli franchise with a different approach: establishing the business from scratch rather than reusing the previous operation’s infrastructure.[15][13] Initial plans called for a $12 million investment, a NIS 20 million launch budget, and 50 branches within five years.[15] The first restaurant was initially planned for August 2015, with five additional openings by December.[15]

The actual relaunch took place in February 2016, after a six-year absence, with a restaurant on Ibn Gabirol Street opposite Rabin Square in Tel Aviv.[1][13] Four more restaurants were planned for that month, one in Beersheba and three in Tel Aviv.[1] Besnainou predicted on opening day that Burger King would become a serious competitor to McDonald’s within a decade.[13]

The ownership arrangement at the relaunch assigned a combined 75% interest to Besnainou and Steve Benchimol, with a third partner holding the remaining 25%.[1] The operation planned to own its outlets directly rather than expand through individual franchisees, targeting ten restaurants within a year and as many as 50 within five years.[1] By 2018, the chain had eight Israeli branches.[16]

Delek Israel acquired control in 2022, purchasing 70% of the shares from Besnainou.[5] It viewed the restaurant business as complementary to its fuel-station network.[5] By 2026, Delek Israel held a 93% stake in Burger King Israel.[17] Delek Israel’s owners were identified as Avi Levy, Eli Lahav, and Uri Mansour.[9]

Burger King Israel recorded a loss of approximately NIS 15 million in 2024 and had negative equity.[18] Delek injected more than NIS 30 million to support the business and subsequently said the chain became profitable in the first quarter of 2025.[5] The company does not disclose its turnover.[17]

In 2025, the chain shifted its emphasis toward neighborhood commercial centers, particularly in growing residential communities with younger populations, and away from traditional mall food courts.[5] It also reassessed expensive city-center locations, arguing that food delivery reduced the need for multiple restaurants within the same city.[19] The Ibn Gabirol Street flagship closed in 2025 because it was not economically viable, while the future of older branches at Azrieli Mall and Dizengoff Center was being examined as their leases approached expiration.[18]

Expansion announcements in 2025 cited new restaurants in Rishon LeZion and Ben Gurion Airport and anticipated additional locations in Holon and Haifa.[19] The first Haifa restaurant was described as a northern flagship, occupying approximately 220 square meters with indoor and outdoor seating.[20] It operated on weekends, including until 2:00 a.m. on Thursday and Friday.[20]

In May 2026, plans called for at least six openings during the year, including a Haifa restaurant and locations on the coastal road, in the Krayot, and in the Ono Valley, with investment of approximately NIS 2 million per branch.[17] Seven further restaurants were planned for 2027.[17] In October 2026, CEO Dana Tuchner described a longer-term ambition to reach 100 branches, including outlets at Delek fuel stations.[9] The strategy also targeted commercial centers in new neighborhoods and sites along major thoroughfares.[13] Securing suitable space in developing neighborhoods could require competing for a location four or five years before opening.[17]

The official branch directory lists restaurants in cities including Ashdod, Haifa, Herzliya, Holon, Netanya, Tel Aviv, and Mitzpe Ramon, as well as at Ben Gurion Airport.[7] It separately identifies planned locations in Kiryat Haim, Rosh HaAyin, Sde Boker, Netanya’s Amitei center, and Ramla as opening soon, rather than as confirmed operating restaurants.[7]

The company’s website identifies its operator as Burger King Israel (B.K.I. 2014) Ltd., company number 515144491, with an address at Kibbutz Yakum, postal code 6097200.[8] Customers can order through the chain’s app by selecting a branch, adding items, and entering delivery details.[21] Orders go directly to the restaurant for preparation and dispatch, while the app can display preparation progress and the courier’s location; it shows only restaurants that are open and deliver to the customer’s address.[21]

The Israeli menu describes the Whopper as containing a grilled, 100% beef patty weighing approximately 114 grams before cooking, alongside a plant-based burger patty weighing approximately 110 grams before frying.[22] A Cheesy Whopper is offered only at non-kosher branches, while several other products are described as containing kosher turkey bacon.[22]

Kosher status is determined branch by branch rather than applying to the entire chain.[7][8] The directory identifies restaurants under Rabbinical Council supervision in places including Ashdod, Baka’at Ono, Herzliya, Hod Hasharon, Hadera, Yehud, Netanya, Raanana, and Tel Aviv’s Azrieli Center.[7] The website’s terms distinguish certified from non-certified restaurants and direct customers to check the status of the selected branch before ordering.[8] In October 2026, 12 of the chain’s 19 branches were kosher.[9] A May 2026 report counted 18 branches and said six opened on Saturdays.[17]

Local menu development also reflects demand for wings and spicy food.[9] Tuchner said the Israeli chain imported jalapeños at four times the quantity used by an average European branch and was developing a pareve dessert.[9] These adaptations operated alongside detailed international product standards governing matters such as the thickness of sliced onions and tomatoes and the quantity of mayonnaise.[9]

In 2022, Burger King Israel partnered with Israeli food-tech company Meat.The End to introduce “Veggie Kings,” comprising a plant-based Whopper and plant-based nuggets.[6] Development took approximately two years and included market research and testing against the global brand’s standards.[6] Meat.The End had been founded in 2020 by CEO Yishai Mishor.[6]

The products debuted at a vegan pop-up in Tel Aviv’s Dizengoff Center, scheduled to run through October 30, 2022, before availability across the rest of the chain from November 19.[6] They were initially exclusive to Israel and priced the same as the meat products they replaced.[6]

After the pop-up attracted lines around the block, the Dizengoff Center branch extended its meatless offering to a full month.[23] The initiative linked the Israeli restaurant operation with locally developed food technology while adding plant-based alternatives to its menu.[6][23]

Burger King has appeared in travel material as one of the familiar international restaurant brands available to visitors in Israel.[24] A 2010 account likewise grouped it with McDonald’s, KFC, and Subway as American-style dining options encountered in the country.[25] The chain’s accommodation of kosher food customs also featured in accounts of the international company’s adaptation to different national markets.[3]

In a Winter 2012 review of a book about Jerusalem’s central business district, Stuart Schoffman used the replacement of the Atara café on Ben-Yehuda Street by a Burger King as an illustration of the district’s transformation.[26] His discussion concerned the area bounded by Ben-Yehuda Street, King George Street, and Jaffa Road, formerly associated with cafés, shops, and movie theaters.[26]

In 1999, Israeli franchisee Rikamor and Burger King’s international management disputed the authorization of a restaurant in Ma’ale Adumim.[27] International management alleged that the franchisee had misled it in its application, while Rikamor maintained that the approval process had followed the same procedure as other branches.[27] Burger King withdrew the branch franchise, and Meshulam Riklis characterized the action as an injury and breach of contract.[27] Accounts also differed over the role of activist pressure, which the international chain denied had dictated its decision.[27]

A separate kosher-sign dispute resulted in a court-approved class-action settlement in 2025.[28] A customer alleged that an exterior mall sign misleadingly identified a Hod Hasharon restaurant as kosher after its certification had been removed.[28] Burger King denied the claims but acknowledged that the sign was removed after the lawsuit was filed.[28] Under the settlement, the company agreed to distribute 8,727 meal vouchers, valued at NIS 480,000, to active-duty and reservist IDF combat soldiers.[28]

In December 2023, Turkish government officials encouraged boycotts of American firms perceived as supporting Israel, including Burger King, Starbucks, and McDonald’s.[29] Those calls concerned the global brands rather than the ownership or operations of Burger King Israel specifically.[29]