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Burger King returns to Paris a day early

Ben McPartland
Ben McPartland - [email protected]
Burger King returns to Paris a day early
Burger King opened its doors in Paris a day earlier than expected on Monday. Photo: Anne Chrsitine Poujoulat/AFP

Lovers of a 'Le Whopper' in Paris had a nice surprise on Monday when Burger King made its long awaited return to the capital earlier than expected. The new restaurant is just the start of Burger King's attempts to take a huge bite out of France's fast food market.

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The new Burger King in St Lazare station was originally due to open on Tuesday but the fast food giant took everyone by surprise on Monday when it decided to open its doors a day early.

The move was revealed by the site Fast and Food on Monday morning and then later confirmed by Burger King’s press office.

"Burger King will open today at 4pm instead of tomorrow," read the tweet from FastandFood.

The news of the early opening caused a fair amount of excitement on France’s social media sites with the terms St Lazare and Paris trending high on Twitter. It was a sign that Burger King's 15-year absence from the French capital has only increased Parisians' appetite for Le Whopper.

The restaurant was due to open at around 4pm Paris time, giving some of the one million commuters who pass through St Lazare station each day the chance to pick up a whopper on the way home from work.

It will be open seven daysa week from 9.30am until midnight.

After 15 years away, Burger King made a comeback in France in December 2012 when it opened an outlet in Marseille and then shortly after at a motorway service station near Reims.

The opening of a Paris branch has had lovers in the capital licking their lips at the thought of a flame-grilled whopper for the first time since 1997, when the chain was force to close its branches because of poor sales figures.

The fast food giant's return to France was only made possible through a Franchise agreement with Italian restaurant chain Autogrill, to open up outlets in train stations, motorway service stations or airports.

And last month The Local reported how Burger king will not be stopping at St Lazare and now plans to open 400 new restaurants throughout the country. 

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