Hesburger

Last updated

Hesburger
Company type Joint-stock company
Industry Restaurants
Founded1980;44 years ago (1980)
Founder Heikki Salmela
Headquarters
Turku
,
Finland
Number of locations
473
Key people
Heikki Salmela (Chairman)
Kari Salmela (CEO)
Products Fast food
(hamburgers  • french fries  • soft drinks  • coffee  • milkshakes  • salads  • desserts)
Revenue€234 million (2021) [1]
Number of employees
8,000 (2021)
Website hesburger.com
A Hesburger hamburger and fries Hesburger in Moscow 1.jpg
A Hesburger hamburger and fries

Hesburger (colloquially known in Finland as Hese and in Estonia as Hess) is a fast food chain based in Turku, Finland. [2] [3] In 2008 it was the largest hamburger restaurant chain in Finland, [2] Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania, with a market share larger than that of U.S.-based rival McDonald's. It further operates in Bulgaria, Germany, Poland, Romania, and Ukraine. Hesburger primarily purveys fast foods such as hamburgers, fried potatoes, salads and desserts. The company name is derived from the nickname of the founder, Heikki "Hese" Salmela. [4] The company also operates Hesecafes, which sell pastries and specialty coffees, and hot dog outlets. [2] Some restaurants provide car wash services. [5]

Contents

History

Heikki Salmela, the founder of Hesburger. Heikki Salmela.jpg
Heikki Salmela, the founder of Hesburger.

The chain's history reaches back to 1966, [5] when 20-year old Heikki Salmela  [ fi ] opened a street food kiosk called Kievarin grilli in Naantali. He later opened the first Hesburger in the Hansakortteli shopping centre in 1980 on Kristiinankatu in Turku, which became the first element of the first fast food restaurant chain in Finland. In the 1980s the chain grew fast. Salmela sold the chain and several hotels in 1988 for almost 200 million Finnish markka. Three years later, during the early 1990s recession, he bought it back for 25 million markka.

Salmela has said in an interview that in the beginning, the name of the street his kiosk was located at sufficed for a name for the kiosk. After Salmela had founded his restaurant chain company, it needed a proper name. The name "Hesburger" was suggested, but Salmela thought the name didn't have "an American feel" to it. So he asked an advertisement bureau to come up with a name for his company. The advertisement bureau thought about suitable names for a couple of weeks, and in the end presented Salmela with the name they came up with, along with a bill of 100 thousand markka: "Hesburger". [4]

With only 12 outlets in 1992, Hesburger expanded to over 200 restaurants in 60 cities and towns across Finland over the following decade, absorbing rival chain Carrols in 2002. The purchase of Carrols gave Hesburger some previously nonexistent leverage on the fast food market of Helsinki. Hesburger has kept rival chain McDonald's out of Turku efficiently: in 2014, there were 21 Hesburgers but only two McDonald's locations in the city. Hesburger has also expanded to international markets, opening outlets in the Baltic states and in Hamburg, Germany, [6] as well as a single location in Alanya, Turkey (opened in 2014, [7] closed unknown date). There was a Hesburger in Damascus, Syria for a short period between 2004 and 2006, but it was closed as unprofitable. [8] Further expansion into the Middle East has been discussed by the company. [9]

Hesburger expanded to Poland by opening a delivery-only restaurant in Warsaw in 2024. [10]

In summer of 2024, Hesburger expanded to Romania by opening its first restaurant in Râmnicu Vâlcea. [11]

Russia

The first attempts to enter the Russian market were made at the end of the 80's. In the summer of 1988 through the joint Soviet-Finnish enterprise in St. Petersburg (and later in Vyborg and Petrozavodsk) street tents opened under the Liha Polar brand made in the Hesburger color scheme. In the menu was hamburgers, cheeseburgers, fries and other dishes are typical for Hesburger. [12] [13] [14] [15] In the late 1990s/early 2000s restaurants ceased to exist for unknown reasons. [12] [16] [17]

The first Russian Hesburger opened in January 2010 in Moscow, and a year later in St. Petersburg. [18] [19] [20] The network worked on the rights of master franchise LLC Rusburger, owned by the meat-industrial company Ostankino. [21] By the end of 2012, Hesburger still opened 13 restaurants, as well as with the help of partners launched restaurants in Ufa, Krasnoyarsk and in the far East. [22]

In December 2013, Hesburger changed owners and became a group of companies called "Megagrupp". [23] [24]

On March 29, 2022, Hesburger announced a slow departure from the Russian and Belarusian markets. [25] [18] [26] [27] 40 restaurants were available in Russia. [28]

In May, a local brand called SuperBurger was registered with a logo similar to Hesburger's, and intended to replace Hesburger. [29] [30] [31]

Some Hesburger restaurants continued to operate as of April 2023. [32] [33]

Restaurants

A modern Hesburger restaurant at University of Helsinki metro station. Hesburger Helsingin yliopiston metroasemalla.JPG
A modern Hesburger restaurant at University of Helsinki metro station.
Pork Fillet on Rye bread, French fries and a Coke Zero (regular) Rukkifilee eine.IMG 2605.JPG
Pork Fillet on Rye bread, French fries and a Coke Zero (regular)

Hesburger employs over 8,000 people, of whom 5,400 are based in Finland. [34] Hesburger has been actively expanding its operations in Lithuania, announcing investments of 3,5 million euros in 2016, [35] around 4 million in 2017 [36] and 4 million in 2018. [37]

CountryNumber of restaurants [38]
Flag of Finland.svg Finland 274
Flag of Lithuania.svg Lithuania 61
Flag of Estonia.svg Estonia 52
Flag of Latvia.svg Latvia 51
Flag of Bulgaria.svg Bulgaria 31
Flag of Ukraine.svg Ukraine 7
Flag of Romania.svg Romania 3
Flag of Germany.svg Germany 2
Flag of Poland.svg Poland 1

Operations

See also

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hamburger</span> Food consisting of a beef patty between rounded buns

A hamburger, or simply a burger, is a dish consisting of fillings—usually a patty of ground meat, typically beef—placed inside a sliced bun or bread roll. The patties are often served with cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickles, bacon, or chilis with condiments such as ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, relish or a "special sauce", often a variation of Thousand Island dressing, and are frequently placed on sesame seed buns. A hamburger patty topped with cheese is called a cheeseburger. Under some definitions, and in some cultures, a burger is considered a sandwich.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Fast-food restaurant</span> Type of restaurant

A fast-food restaurant, also known as a quick-service restaurant (QSR) within the industry, is a specific type of restaurant that serves fast-food cuisine and has minimal table service. The food served in fast-food restaurants is typically part of a "meat-sweet diet", offered from a limited menu, cooked in bulk in advance and kept hot, finished and packaged to order, and usually available for take away, though seating may be provided. Fast-food restaurants are typically part of a restaurant chain or franchise operation that provides standardized ingredients and/or partially prepared foods and supplies to each restaurant through controlled supply channels. The term "fast food" was recognized in a dictionary by Merriam–Webster in 1951.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Billa (supermarket)</span> Austrian multinational supermarket chain in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe

BILLA is an Austrian supermarket chain that operates in Central, Eastern and Southeastern Europe. The company was founded by Karl Wlaschek in 1953. He sold his controlling interest to Germany's REWE Group in 1996.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kesko</span> Finnish retailing company

Kesko Corporation is a Finnish retailing conglomerate with its head office in Kalasatama, Helsinki. It is engaged in the grocery trade, building and technical trade, and car trade. It also has operations in Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and Poland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDonald's</span> American fast food restaurant corporation

McDonald's Corporation, doing business as McDonald's, is an American multinational fast food chain, founded in 1940 as a restaurant operated by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a hamburger stand and later turned the company into a franchise, with the Golden Arches logo being introduced in 1953 at a location in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1955, Ray Kroc, a businessman, joined the company as a franchise agent and, in 1961, bought out the McDonald brothers. Previously headquartered in Oak Brook, Illinois, it moved to nearby Chicago in June 2018. McDonald's is also a real estate company through its ownership of around 70% of restaurant buildings and 45% of the underlying land.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrols (Finland)</span> Finnish fast food restaurant chain

Carrols was a chain of fast-food restaurants in various cities in Finland.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Carrols Restaurant Group</span> American franchisee company

Carrols Restaurant Group, Inc. is an American franchisee company and is the largest Burger King franchisee in the world; Carrols owns and operates over 1,000+ Burger Kings, and 55 Popeyes restaurants. The company has operated Burger Kings since 1976 in locations across 23 U.S. states.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wimpy (restaurant)</span> Restaurant chain

Wimpy is a fast-food chain that was founded in the United States. It found its success internationally, mainly in the United Kingdom and South Africa. It has changed between being a table-service establishment and counter-service establishment throughout its history.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Espoo Metro Areena</span> Multi-purpose stadium in Espoo, Finland

Espoo Metro Areena is an arena in the Tapiola District of Espoo, Finland. The arena is sponsored by Hesburger, Finland's largest fast food hamburger chain and is part of the Tapiolan Urheilupuisto. It was inaugurated in 1999 and holds 6,982 people for ice-hockey games or up to 8,000 for concerts.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Henry's Hamburgers</span> American restaurant in Benton Harbor, Michigan

Henry's Hamburgers is a former American fast-food restaurant chain of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s. Only one franchise store, in Michigan, remains.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Rolls (restaurant chain)</span> Finnish fast-food chain

Rolls is a Finnish chain of hamburger fast food restaurants. The first Rolls restaurant was opened in Seinäjoki in 1988. Owned by Jokes Family Oy, the chain has over one hundred restaurants throughout the country as of 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Burger Club</span> Restaurant chain based in Ukraine

Burger Club(Ukrainian: Бургер клуб) is a Ukrainian hamburger fast food chain. Opened in 2008, it operates as franchise in three countries in Europe and Asia. These countries are Ukraine, Kazakhstan and Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">BurgerFi</span> American fast casual restaurant chain

BurgerFi International, Inc. is an American hamburger restaurant chain aimed at the "better burger" sector of the market. The first location was opened in February 2011 in Lauderdale-by-the-Sea, Florida.

Kuzina is a confectionery chain founded in 2010. Its headquarter is located in Novosibirsk, Russia. The company sells pastry, sandwiches and coffee. The largest number of stores are located in Novosibirsk, there are also shops in Barnaul, Moscow and Minnesota.

BioFoodLab is a Russian company founded in 2012 that develops and markets health food snacks under several brand names, including its leading brand, "Bite." BioFoodLab was founded by Elena Shifrina, a Skoltech MBA and Regent's Business School London graduate. BioFoodLab is acknowledged as Russia's leading producer of healthy snacks and distributes over 100 products in 14 countries, including Japan, the United Arab Emirates, United Kingdom, Singapore, and China.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">McDonald's in Russia</span> Subsidiary of American fast food company

From 1990 to 2022, the American fast food chain McDonald's operated and franchised McDonald's restaurants in Russia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vkusno i tochka</span> Russian fast-food chain

Vkusno i Tochka is a Russian fast food chain based mostly in former McDonald's restaurants, with a menu that largely consists of rebranded McDonald's items. McDonald's closed their Russian stores in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine; Vkusno i Tochka restaurants mostly occupy former McDonald's restaurants that were sold to business magnate and entrepreneur Alexander Govor, who was a company licensee in Siberia.

References

  1. ↑ "Hesburger - Organisation and key figures".
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Dana, L.P. (2008). Handbook of Research on European Business and Entrepreneurship: Towards a Theory of Internationalization. Elgar Original Reference Series. Edward Elgar. p. 203. ISBN   978-1-84844-130-9.
  3. ↑ Lonely Planet Finland. Travel Guide. Lonely Planet Publications. 2015. p. 203. ISBN   978-1-74360-534-9 . Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  4. 1 2 "Heikki Salmela". City.fi. 5 April 2002. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  5. 1 2 3 "Coming to Bulgaria: Finnish fast food chain Hesburger". The Sofia Globe. 5 November 2016. Archived from the original on 11 March 2018. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  6. ↑ "Hesburger – Finland's largest chain of fast food hamburger outlets". Archived from the original on 11 July 2009.
  7. ↑ "Hesburger - Ensimmäinen ravintola Turkkiin". www.hesburger.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  8. ↑ "Keskisuomalainen". Archived from the original on 23 May 2012.
  9. ↑ "Hesburger ei ole päässyt Lähi-idässä puusta pitkälle" (in Finnish). Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  10. ↑ Laukkanen, Joona ; STT (19 March 2024). "Hesburger laajeni Puolaan – aivan uudella konseptilla". Ilta-Sanomat (in Finnish). Retrieved 2 April 2024.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  11. ↑ "Hesburger laajensi toimintaansa Romaniaan". mtvuutiset.fi (in Finnish). 6 June 2024. Retrieved 6 June 2024.
  12. 1 2 "LIHA POLAR первая иностранная сеть общественного питания в СССР".
  13. ↑ "Ларек фастфуда "Liha Polar" на Исаакиевской площади, 1988 год, Ленинград".
  14. ↑ "Последние годы СССР: как жили люди". 29 April 2019.
  15. ↑ "Первая летчица России".
  16. ↑ "LIHA POLAR первая иностранная сеть общественного.. | Питер. Взгляд назад. | VK".
  17. ↑ "«СуперБургер» может заменить финскую сеть Hesburger.. | Animation News | VK".
  18. 1 2 "Еще одна сеть фастфуда закрывает рестораны в Петербурге".
  19. ↑ "ASTERA вывела на рынок Петербурга финскую сеть Hesburger".
  20. ↑ "Владельцы мясокомбината «Останкинский» займутся развитием в России сети фаст-фуда Hesburger".
  21. ↑ Ксения Шамакина (24 January 2012). "«Велком» разложит мясо по тарелкам". Коммерсант, №11, стр. 10. Archived from the original on 1 July 2015. Retrieved 28 June 2015.
  22. ↑ ""Останкинский» фаст-фуд, или «Русбургер» против «Гамбургера"". 15 November 2011.
  23. ↑ https://franshiza.ru/news/read/rossiyskiy_hesburger_smenil_vladelca/ Российский Hesburger сменил владельца]
  24. ↑ "Франшизы Cinnabon, Auntie Anne's и Hesburger".
  25. ↑ "Hesburger уходит из России медленнее, чем предполагалось". 30 March 2022.
  26. ↑ "Финская сеть Hesburger закроет свои рестораны в России и Белоруссии".
  27. ↑ "Сеть быстрого питания Hesburger летом закроет свои рестораны в России и Белоруссии". 29 March 2022.
  28. ↑ "Hesburger - «МегаГрупп»" (in Russian).
  29. ↑ "На смену закрывшемуся финскому Hesburger идёт СуперБургер".
  30. ↑ "На смену закрывшемуся финскому Hesburger идёт СуперБургер › Статьи › 47новостей из Ленинградской области".
  31. ↑ "«СуперБургер» может заменить финскую сеть Hesburger | Crispy News/Криспи Ньюс". 25 May 2022.
  32. ↑ "Hesburger, кафе быстрого питания, улица Арбат, 22/2 ст4, Москва — 2ГИС". 2gis.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  33. ↑ "Yandex". eda.yandex.ru (in Russian). Retrieved 3 September 2023.
  34. ↑ "Hesburger - Organisaatio ja tunnusluvut". www.hesburger.fi (in Finnish). Retrieved 18 July 2017.
  35. ↑ Migonytė, Sigita. "Prie Molėtų atidarytas naujas "Hesburger"" . Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  36. ↑ "'Hesburger' šiemet Lietuvoje planuoja investuoti 3–4 mln. eurų ir atidaryti iki 4 naujų restoranų" . Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  37. ↑ Migonytė, Sigita. "'Hesburger' į plėtrą Lietuvoje investuos 4 mln. Eur" . Retrieved 19 July 2018.
  38. ↑ "Hesburger - Restaurant chain today". www.hesburger.com. Retrieved 18 August 2024.
  39. ↑ "Hesburger vei burgerinsa Bulgariaan - aikoo valloittaa koko maan". Talouselämä . 24 August 2017. Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  40. ↑ Clements, J. (2014). An Armchair Traveller's History of Finland. Haus Publishing. p. 64. ISBN   978-1-909961-01-2 . Retrieved 26 December 2017.
  41. ↑ Norum, R. (2010). The Rough Guide to Finland. Rough Guide to... Rough Guides. p. 246. ISBN   978-1-84836-969-6 . Retrieved 26 December 2017.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.