Restaurant Brands beat quarterly revenue estimates on Thursday, as its marketing efforts boosted demand at Burger King and other brands in the U.S. and international markets.
However, higher expenses drove an earnings miss, and sent the company’s U.S.-listed shares down about three per cent in early trading.
The company leaned on movies such as ‘How to train your Dragon’ and partnerships with actor Ryan Reynolds, to attract customers in core regions such as the U.S. and Canada.
Value-meal deals starting at US$5, also introduced by major fast-food chains Yum Brands and McDonald’s as consumer spending in the U.S. sees a decline, boosted foot traffic at Burger King.
The Trump administration’s unpredictable trade policies have disrupted business operations and shaken consumers, especially lower-income groups, who are increasingly seeking bargains and scaling back on dining out plans as they grapple with rising prices.
“We saw a bit softer performance in some of the lower-income cohorts in the U.S., and a little bit of better performance in the middle and higher income groups,” Restaurant Brands CEO Josh Kobza told Reuters.
The company logged an adjusted profit of 94 cents per share, above 86 cents a year ago, but missed analysts’ estimates of 97 cents per share, also hurt by higher costs from supply chain and commodities such as beef and coffee.
It posted revenue of US$2.41 billion in the quarter ended June 30, beating analysts’ estimates of US$2.32 billion, according to data compiled by LSEG.
Quarterly same-store sales at Burger King outlets in the U.S., rose 1.5 per cent, after rising just 0.1 per cent a year ago.
Comparable sales in the company’s international segments, which include restaurant chains such as Burger King and Popeyes, rose 4.2 per cent, compared with a 2.6 per cent rise a year ago.
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Reporting by Anuja Bharat Mistry in Bengaluru; Editing by Shinjini Ganguli
