In their business plan, Ray knew that the primary business focus was to sell hamburger franchises, but what he never lost sight of was the location of each franchise.

While sales declined at many hamburger franchises, Burgerville says its sales this year are up 14 percent.

The hamburger franchise said it would earn 530 million yen ($4.2 million) this year with sales falling 5.5 percent.

An office building above a hamburger franchise is a far cry from the stately courtrooms of the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit.

Sounds like a hamburger franchise on the Island.

Some of the hamburger franchises and beer joints have also started serving pizza, often just out of the freezer and quickly heated.

Signs of the times - which Gilbert detests - are a new hamburger franchise and a shiny new supermarket on the outskirts of town.

Menu-chart from a hamburger franchise illustrating sixteen choices.

But in 1969, he quit his chosen field of engineering for fry cooks and walk-in freezers to join a former college teammate who had taken public a Hardee's hamburger franchise.

Ray Kroc, of McDonald's fame, sold hamburger franchises, not because he loved hamburgers, but because he wanted the real estate ; under the franchise for free.