U.S. fast-food chain Burger King is set to open its first restaurant in Cambodia next month, an official confirmed on Thursday.
Advertisements have gone up at the Phnom Penh International Airport bearing the famous Burger King logo, with a message saying that the chain is “Coming soon.” The outlet is going up on the perimeter of the airport terminal building, next to the existing Pizza Company and Dairy Queen outlets.
“We have started the construction,” said Cambodia Airports CEO Emmanuel Menanteau, adding that he expected the restaurant to be completed and opened in February.
In June last year, the company holding the franchise for Burger King, as well as Domino’s Pizza in Vietnam, Blue Kite Food & Beverage Co. Ltd., began advertising for management jobs and general staff posts in the franchise in Cambodia. The company is a subsidiary of Vietnamese company Imex Pan-Pacific.
Local garment factory owner Sok Hong, who also sits on the board of Sok Kong’s Sokimex Corporation, said at the time that he was involved in bringing Burger King to Cambodia. Mr. Hong could not be reached for comment on Thursday.
But it appeared the gun had been jumped when an official at Burger King’s regional office in Singapore said the company then had no plans to open in Cambodia. The official even said the company would investigate unauthorized use of its branding on the job advertisements.
Despite the open displaying of the chain’s logo at the airport, Burger King is yet to confirm its move into Cambodia.
Asked to confirm the move on Thursday, officials at Burger King in Singapore did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
Burger King, which has outlets in 73 countries globally, joins other U.S. brands Dairy Queen—which is run in Cambodia by Thailand-based RMA Group—and KFC, which was brought into the country by local businessman Kith Meng.
