Do we like them?

Do we like Burger King?

Flame-grilled burger chain (the Whopper), run from Miami and owned by Toronto-based Restaurant Brands International.

Our score: 4 out of 10. Not one we'd back with our money on ethics. The sales turnaround is real, but franchisee labour cases, deforestation criticism and privacy claims weigh on it.

Burger King is the burger chain behind the Whopper. It now sits inside Restaurant Brands International, the Toronto-based group that also owns Tim Hortons, Popeyes and Firehouse Subs. Josh Kobza has been CEO since March 2023, working alongside Executive Chairman Patrick Doyle.

Business-wise, 2026 has been good. CNBC reports the once-struggling US chain is winning market share through renovations, sharper marketing and a focus on the Whopper. RBI bought its biggest US franchisee, Carrols, in 2024 and is selling the restaurants back to smaller local operators.

The drama is mostly about franchisees. Wisconsin's workforce regulator found 1,656 child labour and wage violations at the 100-plus restaurants run by one operator, Cave Enterprises. The Massachusetts Attorney General cited another operator, and California fined two San Francisco franchisees $2.2m for wage theft. Burger King says it expects franchisees to follow the rules.

The environment is the other sore spot. Campaign group Mighty Earth said it was pledging to stop deforestation only by 2030, calling that "fast food and slow action". Customers have also gone to court: a privacy suit over cookie opt-outs survived a motion to dismiss, though those are allegations. A Whopper-size ad suit was dismissed in January 2026.

Our score is a 4. The food business is healthy, but the labour record at franchisees, the slow deforestation pledge and the privacy claims keep us from backing it. We'd want clearer evidence that the parent polices its franchisees before we'd go higher.