Burger King returns to public, opens on New York Stock Exchange

Burger King began trading as a public company again Wednesday under the ticker symbol “BKW.”

Shares gained 98 cents, or 6.8 percent, to $15.48 in morning trading, according to the Associated Press.

It last traded as a public company between 2006 and 2010 before it was bought and taken private by 3G Capital, the AP wrote.

More from GlobalPost: Burger King launches the bacon sundae

CNNMoney reported the fast food chain's debut on the NYSE was not an initial public offering. There has not been an IPO on the NYSE since Facebook.

Instead, 3G Capital announced an unusual deal this spring to sell a minority stake in UK-based Justice Holdings Ltd., a London-based entity that was specifically set up to invest in another company. In return, 3G Capital received $1.4 billion for a 71 percent stake in the company, the AP reported.

In April, the fast food chain introduced a new healthier menu with more salads, the new bacon sundae notwithstanding.

Investors hope the BKW will show the kinds of increased growth that other "healthier" fast food chains like Chipotle Mexican Grill have seen recently, CNNMoney wrote.

More from GlobalPost: Burger King plans to go cage-free by 2017

Burger King began using cage-free pork and eggs in 2007, making it the first major fast-food chain to incorporate animal welfare issues into its policies, according to the AP.