OUR HISTORY

Sometimes you need to know where you’ve been to know where you want to go. Which is why we’re pretty damn proud of our roots – from the first store in Auckland, New Zealand in 1995, to the globally growing gourmet burger brand you know, love, obsess over (and sometimes even stalk on Instagram) today.

1995

First Burgerfuel opens in Auckland

The year 1995, destined for yet–to-be-invented useless trivia websites was saved from anonymity when the first BurgerFuel store was launched by Burger Master, Dr Mason.

With Mason at at the wheel, this concept store on Ponsonby Road introduced a gourmet burger with fresher and more natural ingredients, delivered in a high energy environment conjured up from the images of flames, internal combustion and the desire to fuel and fire the human engine.

The passion driving the products, people and promotions set BurgerFuel apart from anything else in the fast-casual food category, and still pave the way today.

1997

SECOND BURGERFUEL STORE OPENS IN TAKAPUNA

Within two years, word spread rapidly about New Zealand’s newest gourmet burger and the doors opened to our second store in Takapuna, Auckland.

After booming trade and huge interest from the locals, Takapuna became the first franchised BurgerFuel store.

1999

WHAT CAN WE SAY?

Well in 1999, we partied like it was 1999 because it was 1999. We even managed to squeeze some work in there too, developing this ultramatic streamlined like grease lightning kitchen design that would get our burgers pumping on the stereo of your taste buds faster than ever before without compromising on quality, integrity or style.

That’s right, if there are points for style, we want to win them.

Third burgerfuel store opens and the world didn't end

With two stores already cranking and Parnell’s nightlife ready to take off, the newest restaurant to hit the rise was BurgerFuel’s third store.

BurgerFuel blessed the new millennium by installing a new custom engineered kitchen in Parnell. The new design was an instant success. Completely Y2K compliant, the new BurgerFuel kitchen had the ability to cook and deliver a Ford Freakout (or any other burger) to customers within a much faster timeframe, even during peak periods – a feat virtually unheard of in the gourmet segment.

2001

BurgerFuel stores start popping up on auckland city's fringe

With three corners of the city already hooked on the Kiwi burger icon, it was only a matter of time before BurgerFuel snapped up a site in the western end of the city, Mt Eden.

With the fourth BurgerFuel store and third franchise we were well on our way to engineering the ultimate burger. Customer experience, kitchen speed, service and recognition were top of the BurgerFuel list with focus of world domination clearly set in our future.

2002

The ‘Tron’, not just a movie from the 80s

Seven years in the making - BurgerFuel store number five hits New Zealand shores in the mighty Waikato. Hamilton opens with the biggest dine-in / take-away BurgerFuel restaurant seen in the system. The furious burger machine blasted on to the scene, fitting for the town affectionately known as “Hamiltron”.

2003

BurgerFuel gets its wings

With healthy wholesome ingredients and more mouths eating their gourmet burgers, BurgerFuel caught the attention of Josef Roberts. Josef, having left behind the world of Red Bull, started his burger crusade as a shareholder and director with a strong focus on bringing good burgers to the masses through local and international expansion. With major success as the founder of Red Bull Australasia, Josef was ready to give BurgerFuel wings.

2004

BurgerFuel goes crazy with the locals and pops up all over Auckland

With four stores carving it up and Kiwi gourmet burgers making a great impression on the locals, demand to bring in more stores was met by the need for a healthier, convenient alternative in fast food.

Four stores broke their way into Auckland spreading from Manukau to Henderson, Botany Downs to Glenfield in under a year. Domination was in full force. It was a whole South Side, West Side, East Side, North Side story sort of thing.

2005

The North island invasion

The accelerator was on and there was no chance of slowing down, record burger numbers were cranking, more addictive, handmade, fresh natural BurgerFuel aioli was flying out of the BurgerFuel kitchen than ever before.

BurgerFuel was making an impression on Kiwis who demanded more attention to the finest ingredients, freshest product range and an uncanny ability to personally customise any burger you wanted, to how you wanted it – long before this became a fancy marketing ploy – we just thought it made sense to give people what they wanted and how they wanted it.

2006

Packing our bags and crossing the ditch

Just like everything good, Australia heard about the new craze in New Zealand and had to claim a store for itself. We packed up our store, wrote out the ingredients list, pulled all the staff together and hauled ourselves across the ditch to Sydney, Australia to open the newest international flagship store; it saw us flying the Kiwi flag high in the land of the Aussies. Not surprisingly they lapped up our 100% Kiwi beef, batched brewed sauces and wide range of vege and vegan burgers.

Unlike the pavlova and the airplane, we have the documentation to prove that BurgerFuel was, in fact, proudly born first in the NZA (New Zealand – Aotearoa).

2007

Would you like shares with that?

Mid 2007 BurgerFuel gave all its fans, staff and believers a little piece of their heart, successfully launching on to the New Zealand Alternative Stock Exchange (NZAX) in typical BurgerFuel fashion, or in other words unlike any other company before it. Shares were bought in store, online, with a burger (almost) and in just about any way you could possibly think of.

2008

Death before bad burgers

We’re dead serious about making the best burgers in the world, “Death Before Bad Burgers” is even one of the company mottos. In 2008, BurgerFuel reached its highest heights or made it to ‘another level’ if you will, with our second two-level store. With it came one of New Zealand’s most beautiful and iconic views, along the lakefront of Taupo.

2009

Halal, is it meat you're looking for?

With New Zealand taking off and Australia cranking over, the wider world had its eyes set on all the commotion.

It took a single knock on the door to blow our quiet world out of the water of what was soon to be the biggest achievement for BurgerFuel – a new international territory, half a world away. Once the excitement and partying died down it was time to get to work. BurgerFuel officially got ready to open stores in the UAE by signing a Master Licence Agreement. The plan was to export 100% pure New Zealand grass-fed beef to the Middle East.

2010

Middle East meets little beasty meats

It wasn’t long until the Saudi boys got a glimpse at what was about to be the world’s next biggest investment opportunity, we already knew we made bloody good burgers; we were just waiting till the rest of them did too.

After hundreds of burgers, long walks along the sand dunes and a beautiful courtship BurgerFuel had sold the master licence rights to some good cats in Saudi Arabia. Our first official international store to open outside the South Pacific was Al Khobar, a 200 seater burger behemoth in Saudi Arabia in February 2010. Yeah, that’s right, those guys were so keen they even beat the guys in Dubai to the first Middle Eastern store.

FAST CARS, FAST FOOD AND FASTER SERVICE

With the development of the iconic brand hitting the shores of the Middle East innovation was the key leader in making BurgerFuel the step above the rest. New store designs were rolled out with more dine-in friendly features like beer and table service being introduced into some stores.

The Middle East thrived on the same Kiwi concept, burgers, menu offerings and amplified environment. BurgerFuel had stores opening in Malls all over the Middle East such as, Al Shatea Mall, Dubai Mall, Amwaj and Midriff City Centre.

With the ever evolving brand being lapped up more than anyone could ever imagine, the first food court style store was developed in Dubai Mall, where burgers are still made to order, when you order – allowing for the same fresh, char grilled goodness that everyone has grown to love.

Things didn’t stop here. In New Zealand we built a BurgerFuel on wheels, the Optimus Prime Beef of racing trailers with a mobile BurgerFuel kitchen – truly bringing BurgerFuel to the people. The BurgerFuel Mobile unit rolled on in to some of New Zealand’s most iconic events such as the Big Day Out, Parachute, Puma Social and Red Bull Trolley Grand Prix.

2012

Radio BurgerFuel is born

Born of the desire to have our own BurgerFuel signature sounds playing in all our stores, we combined burgers and beats to create Radio BurgerFuel, our very own radio station.

Radio BurgerFuel was designed to broadcast live and ad free throughout the BurgerFuel network of stores all over the world, from New Zealand and Australia to Dubai, Abu Dhabi and Egypt. It was also made available online at www.radioburgerfuel.com for takeout listening at home, work, or your next house party.

The Radio BurgerFuel studio in Auckland was relocated in 2015 to the recently renovated BurgerFuel New Zealand Offices. This new designer ‘radio kitchen’ features a sound-proof studio, the latest Pioneer DJ set-up and state of the art broadcasting equipment.

The First BurgerFuel Athletic Department is built

BurgerFuel Athletic Department (B.A.D), an underground fitness programme done BurgerFuel style, was launched in the basement of BurgerFuel HQ in Auckland, New Zealand. The principles behind B.A.D were designed by credible industry leaders in the area of sport science and developed with genuine athletes.

Weekly and monthly training sessions were created for BurgerFuel staff, Franchisees and Friends of the Fuel, incorporating a mix of everything from raw sledge hammer, giant tractor tyre and battle rope exercises to kick boxing, strength and conditioning and high intensity Japanese 'Tabata' workouts. It doesn’t matter if your exercise mantra is ‘blood, sweat and tears’ or ‘food, sweat and beers’, B.A.D catered for all levels of fitness, from total beginners to those paleo-powered Crossfit types.

2013

2013 - BurgerFuel opens world's first gourmet burger drive-thru

After securing the ultimate site on Jumeirah Road, one of Dubai’s most prestigious streets, and with over two years of development behind it, the first purpose-built BurgerFuel drive-thru opened in September of 2013, to serve the world’s best gourmet burgers to drivers in the car mad Middle East. Click here to read more.

2014

BurgerFuel opens in the South Island of New Zealand

It was the one they’d all been waiting for – finally the good New Zealanders of the ol’ bottom island could get their very own BurgerFuel fix, without having to hop on a plane somewhere (like Christchurch resident Mark Anderson who took to trafficking burgers home on the plane from Auckland so he could get a BurgerFuel fix in his home town).

BurgerFuel Bush Inn in Christchurch opened after a long awaited campaign by dedicated Cantabrians to bring the BurgerFuel burger to the south. The store was the largest of its kind in New Zealand and set opening day sales records for the country.

Check out the media release here.

BURGERFUEL WELCOMES AMERICAN INVESTORS

In the biggest news in BurgerFuel history, BurgerFuel Worldwide signed an agreement with US company, Franchise Brands, LLC, who will joined BFW as a shareholder and franchise advisor. FB is was created in 2005 with the support and guidance of the founders of SUBWAY® restaurants, Fred DeLuca and Dr. Peter Buck, in order to invest in and offer guidance to small and mid-market companies with experienced management that are seeking to expand their businesses. SUBWAY® restaurants is the largest single brand restaurant chain in the world with over 40,000 franchised stores in more than 100 countries.

BurgerFuel opens its first restaurants in Egypt and Kuwait

Well on the path to global burger domination, BurgerFuel set its sights on two new territories in the Middle East, opening restaurants in both Egypt and then Kuwait within six months of each other.

Both stores were opened with existing franchise partners, Wadi Degla and Al Kuwait Investments (AKI), respectively.

Check out the media releases here and here.

2017

BURGERFUEL OPENS IN THE USA

We knocked the bastard off – the doors of BurgerFuel Broad Ripple, Indianapolis swung open on 29th May 2017, hot off the back of the Indy 500. The first BurgerFuel store in the USA is a key milestone in the global journey of BurgerFuel so the BurgerFuel crew are pumped. The flagship restaurant is located on a large stand-alone site in thriving Broad Ripple, a suburb filled with bars, clubs, eateries as well as four large universities.

Check out the media release here.