No bull? Burger Ranch may shutter in reported Burger King deal

Burger Ranch is reportedly in talks to sell 51 of its 72 remaining branches.

By NIV ELIS
A Burger King in Israel (photo credit: REUTERS)
A Burger King in Israel
(photo credit: REUTERS)
Burger Ranch, Israel’s oldest fast-food hamburger chain, may be nearing its end, according to media reports.
The company’s owners are reportedly in talks to sell 51 of its 72 remaining branches to a group of investors who plan to revive Burger King’s Israeli presence.
If the $50 million deal were to go through, reports said, Burger Ranch may simply shut its remaining locations, as the Israeli market does not have room for three big fast-food burger competitors (the third being McDonald’s).
Burger Ranch would not confirm the reports. “In recent years, we have received some suggestions, and right now there is nothing concrete,” a spokesperson for the group said. The investors group did not respond to inquiries.
Eli and Yuval Orgad, the brothers who bought Burger Ranch in 2008, also took hold of Burger King in its last iteration in Israel. In 2010, they ended up converting the branches to Burger Ranch to unify the brand, eliminating the Whopper and onion-rings dealer from the market.
Market research, they said at the time, showed that Burger Ranch was more appealing to the Israeli market.
The Burger King investors currently pursuing a deal with Burger Ranch include former Kimat Hinam supermarket- chain owner Rani Zim and Yair Hasson, a former Burger King franchisee in Israel.
Globes contributed to this report.