20 Mind-Blowing Facts You Didn't Know About Burger King
11. Welcome To Burger King Baghdad
In June 2003, two months after a US Marine armored vehicle pulled down a statue of Saddam Hussein in central Baghdad, the first Burger King opened in Iraq and quickly became one of the most successful outlets in the world. Located in Baghdad International Airport, it sold more than 5,000 burgers a day to American soldiers, who often waited as long as two hours for their Whoppers. In the wake of its success, Burger Kings, Pizza Huts and Subways opened at US military bases throughout Iraq. Needless to say, running a restaurant in the middle of a war zone was not without its challenges. You are dealing with problems every day, said restaurant operator Joe Petrusich. I get calls saying bridges have been blown up and we cant get our trucks through.
Ian Watson is the author of 'Midnight Movie Madness', a 600+ page guide to "bad" movies from 'Reefer Madness' to 'Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead.'
