Burger King to Help Katrina Evacuees Find Jobs

Burger King Corporation today announced a program to source, recruit, and hire displaced Burger King restaurant employees into new or existing jobs at Burger King restaurants in more than 13 cities nationwide, as well as hurricane evacuees in general.

Franchise and company restaurants in cities with the highest concentration of displaced employees are participating in the Displaced Employee Assistance Program. These cities include Atlanta, Austin, Baton Rouge, Birmingham, Dallas, Houston, Montgomery, Orlando, Pensacola, San Antonio, Savannah, Shreveport, Tampa and several others. The program was created solely in response to the events surrounding Hurricane Katrina.

As part of the program, displaced employees may be eligible to receive limited cash assistance to help with the transition.

“As we continue to re-open restaurants and support hurricane relief efforts within the Burger King system, we are also looking at various ways to provide immediate employment and financial resources to our employees who have been forced from their homes,” says Clyde Rucker, senior vice president and head of the company's Disaster Recovery Team. “Our first goal is to quickly and efficiently provide employment opportunities for as many displaced employees as possible and then provide any other opportunities to anyone displaced by the hurricane.” Hundreds of jobs are currently available. Positions range from the crewmember level to the restaurant manager level. Displaced Burger King restaurant employees may call, toll-free, 877-BKC-4AID for job information in their area. Phone lines will be open from 8 a.m. EDT to 7 p.m. EDT (7 a.m. CT to 6 p.m. CT). This information is also posted on http://www.bk.com .

Other aspects of the program include:

* Every effort to match displaced employees with their previous level of responsibility;

* Immediate employment in the cities they are currently residing;

* Positions may be full-time, part-time or temporary.

As part of Burger King Corporation's on-going relief efforts, the Company has sent several truckloads of supplies for its employees in the hardest hit areas, including nearly 45,000 bottles of water and stocks of non-perishable goods.