The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition in 2012, columnist David Milstead was cool to Burger King's return to the public markets. Mr. Milstead admits he called that badly, noting the shares have doubled since then. The stock has benefited significantly from the excitement over this week's Tim Hortons deal, but the gains were already meaty before the announcement of the cross-border merger. The company's results suggest the company has indeed begun a comeback. Burger King still has a ways to go, however, as its sales underwhelm and its franchisees foot the bill for the company's big changes. Mr. Milstead says he is still wary of Burger King long term. New York-listed Carrols Restaurant Group, which owns 560 Burger Kings, just posted its 10th money-losing quarter in a row. Carrols says its same-store sales fell by 2 per cent in the second quarter, compared with 1.4 per cent the year before. The company blamed a cut in advertising support from Burger King and reduced its sales and profit guidance for the remainder of the year. Right now, franchisees are paying big bucks in hopes that better sales will follow. If it does not work out, owning Burger King stock will be similarly unappetizing.