Burger King is one of the world's most recognized fast-food brands, specializing in flame-broiled hamburgers, and is the second largest hamburger chain in the United States after McDonald's — one of the most successful brands in fast-food history. The company traces its roots to 1954, when James McLamore and David Edgerton opened the first Burger King restaurant in Miami, Florida, introducing the now-iconic Whopper sandwich in 1957.

The brand grew rapidly through franchising, and expanded internationally starting with the Bahamas in 1966, followed by Canada in 1969, Australia in 1971, and Europe (Madrid, Spain) in 1975. Burger King established its brand identity with the "bun halves" logo in 1969 and launched its defining "Have It Your Way" campaign in 1974, emphasizing menu customization, alongside introducing drive-thru service and national breakfast offerings.

Ownership has changed hands repeatedly over the decades: Pillsbury acquired the chain in 1967, Grand Metropolitan (later Diageo) bought Pillsbury in 1989, and Diageo sold Burger King in 2002 to a private-equity consortium including Texas Pacific Group, Bain Capital, and Goldman Sachs. In 2010, 3G Capital took control via leveraged buyout, and in 2014 Burger King Worldwide merged with Tim Hortons to form Restaurant Brands International (RBI).

Today, Burger King operates over 18,000 locations worldwide, continuing to compete fiercely with McDonald's and other fast-food giants. In 2024, RBI completed the acquisition of Carrols Restaurant Group, a major U.S. franchisee, reinforcing an asset-light franchise model while stepping in directly to stabilize parts of the system, and in February 2025 acquired the remaining equity interests in Burger King China as part of ongoing global expansion strategy.