Over the past couple of years, fast food chains have suffered with the advent of a new way to eat as fast casual restaurants such as Chipotle and Shake Shack, which serve booze in their venues, become the new norm - and to keep up, one of the giants in the restaurant business is stepping forward, as Burger King's alcohol license is approved.
After it was first reported a few days back that the chain's UK franchise had applied for a Burger King alcohol license, the first news of approval has now come out, and the first booze-serving major fast food restaurant in the country is located in Bury St Edmunds.
According to The Telegraph, the first Burger King with alcohol was met with criticism at the local council, as Matt Dee, a local licensing inspector, raised concerns that the chain lacked the proper infrastructure and training to deal with preventing underage drinking in the restaurant, as they lacked door staff and policies to identify underage customers.
Due to these concerns, the Burger King's alcohol license was considerably more limited than the chain had already applied to, as the franchise had originally applied permission to serve alcohol from 10am to 11pm, though ultimate approval was until just 9pm, and those who purchase booze inside the premises must drink it inside - and they're only allowed to serve one alcoholic beverage per adult.
Metro reports that this is just the first step in a larger venture, as the chain has also applied for alcohol license in three other places, namely Newcastle-under-Lyme, Blackpool and Hull.
According to The Huffington Post, the recent Burger King alcohol-serving restaurant has received a mixed response in social media, as it's the first of its kind in the country; however, franchises in countries in mainland Europe have already taken similar steps, as well as Singapore and a few locations in the U.S.
Still, be ready for the Burger King alcohol expansion in the UK!
