Burgatory Bar

What Burgatory Bar does

Burgatory Bar is a Pittsburgh-based craft burger and milkshake restaurant chain founded in 2011 and operating seven full-service locations across the Pittsburgh metropolitan area (Fox Chapel, North Fayette, Homestead, Murrysville, North Shore, McCandless, Cranberry Township) plus a seasonal concession at Acrisure Stadium. The company runs a scratch-kitchen model centered on hand-formed, never-frozen burgers using locally sourced, hormone-free proteins (Angus beef, bison, dry-aged wagyu, chicken) and a plant-based Impossible Burger, paired with hand-spun thick milkshakes, craft cocktails, and a rotating draft beer program. Founder/owner Kristen Peteghem leads the business, and the concept has accumulated sustained regional recognition including nine consecutive years of "Best Burger in Pittsburgh" from Pittsburgh Magazine and Reader's Digest Best Burger in Pennsylvania for 2023 and 2024.

Name

Burgatory Bar

Legal name

Burgatory

Website

https://burgatorybar.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Burgatory Bar is a 7-unit Pittsburgh-based craft burger and milkshake restaurant chain serving casual diners, catering groups, and dietary-restricted customers across the Pittsburgh metropolitan area with a scratch-kitchen, build-your-own-burger concept.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast Casual Restaurants

NAICS

Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Burger Fast Casual (THAFABAA)

Keywords

• Craft burger restaurant
• Fast casual dining
• Hand spun milkshakes
• Event catering services
• Scratch kitchen burgers

Headquarters

HQ city

Pittsburgh

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Dine-in Restaurant Sales: Revenue from food and beverage sales at 7+ restaurant locations across Pittsburgh area, including burgers, chicken, shakes, cocktails, and beers consumed on-premise
2. Third-Party Delivery: Revenue from orders placed through third-party delivery platforms including GrubHub, DoorDash, and UberEats
3. Catering Services: Build-Your-Own-Burger-Bar-Buffet catering service with minimum 15 person order requirement, available at least 72 hours prior to events
4. Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including t-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, winter hats, tank tops, and physical gift cards through their online gear shop
5. Gift Cards: Digital and physical gift cards sold at various denominations ($25-$500 for physical cards), shipped via USPS within 3 business days

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Burgatory Bar is a Pittsburgh-based fast-casual restaurant chain that sells hand-formed craft burgers and hand-spun thick milkshakes from scratch kitchens using fresh, never-frozen, locally sourced ingredients. The menu spans multiple protein options (Angus beef, bison, wagyu, chicken, plant-based Impossible Burger), craft cocktails, rotating draft beers, chicken dishes, and kids' items, with build-your-own customization. Revenue is completed by Build-Your-Own-Burger-Bar-Buffet catering, third-party delivery, gift cards, and branded apparel.

Product overview

Burgatory Bar is a 7-unit Pittsburgh-based fast-casual restaurant chain serving craft burgers, thick hand-spun milkshakes, cocktails, and craft beers. The core offering centers on build-your-own custom burgers using all-natural, hormone-free proteins (Angus beef, bison, wagyu, chicken, plant-based Impossible Burger) paired with signature shakes like Campfire S'mores and Cookie Monster. The company operates a scratch-kitchen model with local supplier partnerships. Additional revenue streams include catering services (burger bar buffets), online ordering with third-party delivery integrations, gift cards, and branded merchandise. The portfolio includes nine physical restaurant locations plus a seasonal stadium concession stand, with a special diet menu (gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan options) and a dedicated kids menu.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 9 consecutive years winning Best Burger in Pittsburgh from Pittsburgh Magazine readers
• +3 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Cam Heyward & The Heyward HousecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 September 2023Partnership with Pittsburgh Steelers defensive end Cam Heyward and The Heyward House charitable organization. In an effort to Sack Childhood Hunger and help local youth around Pittsburgh, $2 from every Cam Heyward Burger served during September contributed to The Heyward House. This community-focused initiative supports youth charitable efforts in the Pittsburgh area.
• Impossible FoodscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 February 2019Introduced the Impossible Burger at all full-service Burgatory locations starting October 2017. The plant-based burger option was upgraded to Impossible Burger 2.0 in February 2019, with CEO Pat Brown stating the new recipe would 'blow people's minds.' Partnership positions Burgatory as a forward-thinking option for vegetarian and vegan diners.
• Greater Pittsburgh Community Food BankminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 February 2017Partnership during #FEEDuary campaign in February 2017. Every time a burger was served, a neighbor facing hunger received a meal. Goal was to raise awareness and contribute more than 50,000 meals by the end of the month.
• Pittsburgh Zoo & AquariumminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Party Animal shake, featuring crushed iced Animal Crackers and Rainbow Nonpareils, has proceeds supporting conservation and rehabilitation efforts at Pittsburgh Zoo & Aquarium. Partnership connects the community with local wildlife conservation through shake sales.
• TröegsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Murrysville Oktoberfest event featuring Tröegs Oktoberfest beer. Event included live Oompah band and Tröegs beer pours at the Murrysville location.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Five Guys: Large national customizable-burger chain with hand-formed patties and high consumer brand recognition. Directly comparable on core product (custom burgers) and dining format, though simpler menu and no craft-cocktail focus.
• The Habit Burger Grill: West-Coast-originated better-burger char-grilled chain emphasizing fresh ingredients and customization; similar scrat
• Smashburger: Multi-unit better-burger fast-casual chain serving smashed-style burgers with regional craft beer programs; comparable unit economics and casual-dining-plus-bar positioning to Burgatory.
• BurgerFi: Naturals-and-sustainability positioned better-burger chain with craft beer and shakes; similar premium-ingredient narrative and casual full-bar dining model.
• Shake Shack: National better-burger fast-casual chain known for scratch-made burgers, hand-spun shakes and craft beer. Closest publicly-traded comp to Burgatory's craft-burger-plus-shakes-plus-beers concept and target customer.
• Wayback Burgers: Smaller-format hamburger franchise with hand-formed patties, milkshakes, and a casual-dining-plus-beer model; comparable scale and product mix to Burgatory's regional-chain positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Red Robin Gourmet Burgers: Large established full-service casual-dining burger chain with extensive bar programs and kids menus; broader national footprint and broader menu than Burgatory but directly competes for the casual-dining burger occasion.
• Chipotle Mexican Grill: Differentiated fast-casual leader with build-your-own customization model and local-sourcing emphasis; relevant primarily for the customizable-premium-casual dining model that Burgatory also competes within.

Emerging players

• Wahlburgers: Celebrity-driven casual burger-and-bar concept with scratch menu and full bar; overlapping premium-burger-plus-bar positioning and similar hospitality-led brand identity.
• Elevation Burger: Better-burger franchise focused on organic, grass-fed beef and sustainability messaging; overlaps with Burgatory's hormone-free/local-sourcing positioning and dietary-inclusion menu.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/burgatorybar
• Instagraminstagram.com/burgatorybar/?hl=en
• Xx.com/burgatorybar
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/burgatory

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Burgatory Bar