BROADWAY BURGER KING TO GET MAJOR RENOVATION, EXPANSION

The first Burger King restaurant in Cape Girardeau the one at 2346 Broadway is undergoing its third major remodeling, and this time it includes a major expansion.

"We're adding space for 40 more customers; a new, enclosed playground area; parking-lot expansion; and a totally new exterior look," said Ken Augustyn, director of operations for Drury restaurants.

The restaurant opened in 1972, becoming the first Burger King between St. Louis and Memphis. MidAmerica Hotels Inc., of Cape Girardeau, its owner, since has established a total of 18 Burger King operations throughout Missouri, Southern Illinois, northern Arkansas and western Kentucky.

"The present building here has seating for 72 customers," said Augustyn. "Twenty years later we need more room."

The expansion is taking place in front of the existing structure.

"We're adding 1,434 square feet," said Augustyn. Included in the new seating area will be a second self-serve soda fountain.

The expansion, interior and exterior remodeling will be completed in about 60 days. "We'll be open throughout this time," said Augustyn.

The remodeling will include a new back entrance, new wall covering and drapes, and a change in color of the bricks outside. "We're going to a light beige in the exterior bricks rather than the present dark bricks," said Augustyn.

The parking lot will be expanded from the restaurant to North Kingshighway.

Augustyn said he likes the plans for the playground.

"It will be enclosed," he said. "It includes a ball bath, a 14-by-9-foot area containing plastic balls; U-tubs, which have domes, a splash-down slide, and other equipment popular with youngsters. We'll also have a TV monitor in the playground with special cartoon programming for children."

Four TV monitors featuring other programming will also be installed inside the restaurants.

The Broadway Burger King opened Feb. 5, 1972. Four years later the restaurant was extensively remodeled and a drive-up window was added. In February 1981, the building underwent another refurbishing.

A second Cape Girardeau Burger King was built at Route K and Mount Auburn Road in the early 1980s. It underwent a complete remodeling in 1988.

"Remodeling is necessary from time to time," said Augustyn. "Burger King restaurants get heavy usage, and we want to keep the facilities modern, up-to-date and in good taste."

Burger King restaurants have been on the national scene almost 40 years. The first Burger King was established in Miami, Fla., in 1954. Burger King, now a subsidiary of Britain's Grand Metropolitan PLC, and its franchiseholders operate 6,400 restaurants in 43 countries. Sales in 1991 totaled $6.2 billion.

The local Burger Kings offer meal baskets with everything from shrimp to steak sandwiches delivered to the tables. The new service was announced nationally in September by Burger King spokeswoman Cory Zywotow in Miami.

"This is a bold, big move for Burger King," said Zywotow. "Historically, when our consumers think of fast food, they think of breakfast and lunch, and we've listened to our consumers who say they really want a different dining experience at dinner."

"Delivering the food to the table is nothing new for us," said Augustyn. "We've been taking orders and serving customers at their tables for a long while."

Nationally, consumers told the No. 2, fast-food chain after McDonald's that they'd like to relax and spend more time over dinner, Zywotow said.