Who is James McLamore?

James Whitman McLamore (May 30, 1926 – August 8, 1996) was an American entrepreneur, the founder and first CEO of the Burger King fast food franchise, along with David Edgerton (1927–2018).

He also created the Whopper sandwich.

McLamore was born in 1926 in New York City. After the Stock Market crash of 1929, his father moved them to the country to his grandmother's. He lost his mother soon after and his family struggled to make ends meet. But he managed to graduate from Cornell University in 1947. During his time at Cornell, he served in the United States Navy.

McLamore's first job in the restaurant business was at a YMCA cafeteria in Wilmington, Delaware before branching out to start his 24/7 fast service restaurant, the Colonial Inn. He left and started a third concept in Miami, Florida called the Brickell Bridge Restaurant.

Edgerton originally opened Insta Burger King in Miami, Florida on March 1, 1954. Three months later, on June 1, he met McLamore and they formed the Burger King Corporation. The corporation opened Burger King stores and went on to introduce the Whopper burger in 1957, when it also dropped "Insta" from the name. At this same time, Edgerton, frustrated with the issue-prone Insta machines, created the flame broiler that would provide the signature concept for Burger King.

Burger King has restaurants are in over 100 countries with Australia being the only country in which Burger King uses a different name, "Hungry Jack's".