By BART JARMAN
Burger King has opened its newest location in the Provo area on University Avenue formerly operated by Hardees.
The new restaurant features massive renovations, according to Dave Williams of H.B. Boyse Inc., the company that manages the restaurant.
“We put in an all new dining room package,” Williams said. The new dining room features a game room and meeting room instead of the children’s playroom that Hardees featured.
The building’s roof was upgraded and many mechanical features improved, Williams said. The new restaurant seats about 140 people.
Catering to an older clientele is important, Williams said.
“We feel that our basis for success has been focusing on guest service and menu value,” Williams said.
Williams said the restaurants acquired by Burger King from Hardees have reported increased sales of up to 110 percent over the previous owners.
“We are very optimistic,” Williams said. “We are always looking at markets based on good population centers.”
As part of the purchase negotiations, an invitation was extended to Hardees management and hourly employees to make a lateral move to Burger King, according to Williams.
“As a result, we were able to keep a large percentage of management personnel,” he said.
H.B. Boyse manages over 30 different Burger King franchises in Utah, Idaho, Nevada and Wyoming, including several properties in Utah County: two Burger King locations in Orem, the new property in Provo, one in Springville, a new location opening this spring in Spanish Fork and a combination convenience store and fueling station in Salem, said Williams.
“The last few years have been extremely competitive in this market,” Williams said. “Basically Hardees has had some funding issues with regard to menu profitability.”
Williams said the Utah market was always a peripheral market for Hardees, which has its largest customer base in several eastern states.
