Burger King Bringing BK Delivers Program to South Florida

MIAMI – Consumers in South Florida with a craving for a Whopper will soon be able to get home delivery through Burger King's pilot program, BK Delivers. It launches this week at six Miami-area restaurants and will expand to 35 locations in Miami-Dade and Broward Counties by the end of this year, according to the Miami Herald.

Customers can place their orders online at www.BKDelivers.com or by calling 1-855-ORDER-BK. They must live within a 10-minute drive from a participating location.

Delivery orders must be at least $10 and carry a service fee, usually $2. Fountain sodas, ICEE beverages, shakes, soft serve ice cream desserts, coffee and breakfast items are not available for delivery, but fruit smoothies, bottled water and soft drinks may be selected. Delivery is generally available from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m., though hours may vary by story.

BK Delivers originated in the Washington, D.C., area and grew to more than a dozen locations in the District of Columbua, Maryland and Virginia. It is also available internationally in certain countries, according to the report.

"We think that in Miami we're going to have a stronger response than in D.C.," stated Alex Macedo, Burger King's senior vice president and general manager of U.S. franchise business. "We know exactly how to pick stores. It does best in areas with high population density and where people already have the habit to ask for delivery.''

To ensure that food stays hot or cold during delivery, Burger King developed its own proprietary thermal packaging, according to the Herald. Hot and cold items go in separate containers, with French fries cooked to order just before delivery.

"There's a lot of technology behind this," Macedo noted. "So far we've been able to get significant repeat customers. From our initial reading, this is complementary and is not cannibalizing existing business." In the future, BK Delivers may expand to other urban areas, according to the report.