BK taps Blum, Darden vet, as new-regime CEO

In a major management change that reverberated throughout the restaurant industry, Burger King Corp.'s new owners tapped Bradley Blum, vice chairman of Darden Restaurants and former president of its Olive Garden chain, to become BK's new chief executive. BK's buyout group said the chain tapped Blum because he is credited with turning around Olive Garden after he joined Darden in 1994. Once he officially takes BK's reins this month, Blum said his initial plans include getting to know the franchisees and corporate employees in order to identify the key issues that need immediate action. The first move Burger King and other fast-food brands hope to see McDonald's make is to remove the two full-sized sandwiches from its Dollar Menu. Meanwhile, BK launched two national but limited-time 99-cent sales of its own. The first involved promoting its Double Cheeseburger in December, followed by the 99-cent discounting of its regularly $2.19 Whopper this month.