Fast-food giants plan opening spree

BURGER KING and US giant McDonald's yesterday unveiled plans to accelerate their expansion programmes in 1999.

Burger King, the fast-food arm of Diageo, the food and drinks conglomerate, plans to open 100 new outlets and create 3,500 new full and part-time jobs in 1999, compared with 70 new branches and 2,500 new jobs in 1998.

McDonald's, the market leader in the UK industry, said it had opened just under 100 outlets in 1998 and plans to open 100 more outlets next year. McDonald's,which will celebrate its 25th anniversary in the UK in 1999, said it would invest pounds 100m, creating 5,000 jobs and bringing its national total to just over 1,000 outlets and 60,000 jobs.