“We believe it is the right time for Burger King to be publicly traded in
the US again,” said Daniel Schwartz, Burger King’s finance director.

In a move that echoes an earlier effort by its much larger rival McDonald’s,
Burger King this week introduced a new, healthier menu and announced plans
to spend $750m overhauling some of its 7,000 outlets in America.

Some analysts question whether the chain has left it too late to wrest market
share back from McDonalds, which has reaped the benefits of revamping its
restaurants and changing its menu.

The deal with Justice will see Alan Parker, the former chief executive of
Whitbread and an independent director of Justice, join the board of Burger
King.

Lord Myners, the former UK Treasury minister, who is chairman of Justice, said
that Burger King was appealing to Justice because it provided “strong
cash flows, an experienced and successful management team and significant
strategic growth opportunities”.

Justice, which listed in London in February last year, set itself a target of
making an acquisition by 2014.

Burger King, founded in 1953 as Insta-Burger King, was first taken public in
2006 by a group of investment firms led by TPG Capital.