A car goes through the drive-thru at a Burger King restaurant on May 6, 2026 in Burbank, California.
Justin Sullivan | Getty Images
When Jeremy Kline was 15, he started as a crew member at Taco Bell. In the decades since then, he worked his way up the restaurant industry to director of franchising for Burger King North America.
These days, he is on the other side of the aisle as one of the burger chain’s newest franchisees, after buying 16 locations in the Salt Lake City area in February.
Kline is one of the new operators betting on Burger King as it embarks on a U.S. comeback. The burger chain is on track to sell about 200 company-operated restaurants to franchisees by the end of the year as part of a broader refranchising initiative, and buyers like Kline will be critical to the plan.
Since late 2022, Burger King has embarked on a turnaround strategy focused on revamping its marketing, improving food quality and renovating…
