Burger King Corp. and Heartland Foods Corp., owned by Burger King franchisee Al Cabrera, announced today the acquisition by Cabrera of 41 Burger King restaurants in Illinois and Indiana. The acquisition gives Cabrera 218 Burger King restaurants in Florida, Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, North Carolina, and Wisconsin. The deal cements Cabrera’s position as the largest minority franchisee within the Burger King system and makes Cabrera the largest Hispanic franchisee in the United States.

“With multicultural consumers comprising nearly 40 percent of our customer base, we’ve made it a priority to have the makeup of those doing business within the Burger King system, from franchisees to suppliers, reflect the makeup of our customers,” says Clyde Rucker, senior vice president and chief support officer, Burger King Corp. “The acquisition of these restaurants by Al Cabrera is another major step toward reaching that goal.”

“Burger King Corporation is dedicated to increasing ownership by minority franchisees,” says Cabrera. “My continued investment in the Burger King system demonstrates my confidence in the company’s ability to grow this great brand and make owning Burger King restaurants more profitable for franchisees.”

With the acquisition, Heartland Foods Corp. now comprises 10 Burger King restaurants in Florida, 103 in Illinois, 36 in Indiana, 9 in Michigan, 38 in North Carolina, and 22 restaurants in Wisconsin.