What Burger Urge does

Burger Urge is an Australian gourmet burger restaurant franchise founded in 2007 by two brothers in Fortitude Valley, Brisbane. The company operates a network of 32 themed restaurants across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria and the Northern Territory, with each venue uniquely designed around local cultural references (e.g., a '90s Empire Records-inspired venue in Wilsonton and a 'The Castle'-themed venue in Thurgoona). Its core product is handcrafted gourmet burgers made with locally sourced ingredients, including plant-based options, positioned as a differentiated alternative to mainstream fast-food burgers.

Burger Urge operates an almost exclusively franchise-based go-to-market model: franchise partners invest A$600,000–A$1,200,000 per venue, sign 5–10 year agreements, and pay a 7% monthly royalty on gross sales plus a 3% marketing levy into a national marketing fund. Direct company revenue is therefore predominantly recurring royalty and marketing-fund income, supplemented by initial franchise and training fees and a small company-operated contribution. The branded technology layer is the Bite Club loyalty mobile app (points-based, with $10 'Burg Dollaz' vouchers at 150 points) integrated with proprietary web and in-app ordering, alongside distribution through Uber Eats, DoorDash and Menulog.

End customers are individual burger consumers seeking a higher-quality dine-in or takeaway experience, while franchise customers are hands-on hospitality entrepreneurs attracted by a proven model, themed venues and ongoing brand support. The company reports being fast approaching A$100 million in system turnover as of 2025, and has been scaling this footprint by adding new stores, recruiting senior operational leadership (former Betty's Burgers executives) and investing in franchise development infrastructure.

Name

Burger Urge

Legal name

Burger Urge

Website

https://burgerurge.com.au

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Burger Urge is an Australian gourmet burger franchise operating 32 themed restaurants across QLD, NSW, VIC and NT since 2007, generating system turnover approaching A$100M via a 7% royalty and 3% marketing levy model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Casual Dining Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Burger Fast Casual (THAFABAA)

Keywords

• Gourmet burgers
• Restaurant franchise
• Casual dining
• Quick service food
• Burger restaurants

Headquarters

HQ city

New Farm

HQ country

Australia

HQ region

Oceania

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Franchise Royalty Fees: Monthly royalty fee of 7% of gross sales charged to franchise partners, providing recurring revenue based on franchisee performance
2. Franchise Marketing Levy: 3% of franchise sales contributed to national marketing fund
3. Franchise Fees: Initial franchise and training fees included in the $600,000 to $1,200,000 total investment for new venues
4. Direct Restaurant Sales: Revenue from company-owned or franchise-operated restaurant locations through dine-in, take-away, and delivery orders

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Burger Urge is an Australian gourmet burger restaurant chain operating through a franchise model of 32 venues across Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Northern Territory. The company sells handcrafted gourmet burgers made with fresh, locally sourced ingredients (including plant-based options), supported by a Bite Club loyalty program, mobile app ordering, and uniquely themed restaurant venues. Beyond consumer food sales, the company generates recurring revenue through franchise royalties (7% of gross sales) and marketing contributions (3% of sales).

Product overview

Burger Urge is an Australian gourmet burger restaurant chain offering a unified product portfolio centered on handcrafted burgers made with real, locally sourced ingredients. The core offering consists of gourmet burgers (including plant-based options), complemented by a loyalty program (Bite Club), mobile ordering app, and franchise partnership opportunities. The brand is known for uniquely themed restaurant venues, community-focused hospitality, and bold branding. The Ultimate Burger Quest campaign represents ongoing R&D through international burger research.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bite Club: Loyalty program that rewards customers with points for purchases, redeemable for $10 Burg Dollaz vouchers.
• Ultimate Burger Quest

Products and services

• Gourmet Burgers Handcrafted gourmet burgers made with fresh, locally sourced real ingredients, including plant-based alternatives. The core menu offering across all 32 franchise venues.
• Bite Club Loyalty Program Bite Club Loyalty Program VIP loyalty membership program that rewards customers with points for every purchase, redeemable for $10 Burg Dollaz vouchers. Members also receive exclusive offers, early access to new products, and email updates.
• Burger Urge Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android that enables online ordering ahead, integrates with Bite Club loyalty points accumulation and redemption, and delivers exclusive member offers.
• Franchise Partnership Program Franchise Partnership Program Comprehensive franchise offering that allows entrepreneurs to own and operate a Burger Urge restaurant venue. Includes brand systems, training, operational support, and marketing. Total investment typically $600,000 to $1,200,000 per venue with up to 60% financeable. Royalty 7% of gross sales monthly; marketing contribution 3% of sales. Franchise agreements run 5 to 10 years.

Quantifiable outcome

• Fast approaching $100 million in turnover
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Uber EatsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partner enabling customers to order Burger Urge for home delivery through the Uber Eats platform
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partner enabling customers to order Burger Urge for home delivery through the DoorDash platform
• MenulogminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThird-party food delivery partner enabling customers to order Burger Urge for home delivery through the Menulog platform
• Fat Boys BurgerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNYC burger joint in Hell's Kitchen that inspired the Ultimate Burger Quest New York drop. Founders Alla and Naz Saleh and brother-in-law Ahmed Mohsen's pastrami-loaded burger inspired Burger Urge's New York stack creation as part of the UBQ campaign.
• Thomas GuntercoreOthersFormer Betty's Burgers operations leader with 20+ years hospitality experience, recruited as Head of Operations to drive national expansion. Previously led teams across 24 restaurants at Betty's Burgers.
• Troy McDonaghcoreOthersFormer Betty's Burgers Managing Director who grew the brand from 9 to 60+ venues. Joins Burger Urge advisory board to provide strategic guidance for next phase of growth. Also held senior roles at Village Cinemas, Gloria Jean's Coffees, Oporto, and Red Rooster.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Shake Shack: US premium-burger chain now expanding in the Australian market. Comparable gourmet positioning, dine-in experience, and brand-led growth story make it a clear international benchmark for where a scaled Burger Urge could head.
• Five Guys: US-origin premium-burger QSR/franchise operating in Australia, with a customisable gourmet menu and counter-service format. Direct category competitor targeting the same consumer willing to pay above QSR prices for a quality burger experience.
• Betty's Burgers: Australia's largest gourmet burger franchise chain and Burger Urge's most direct competitor. Both target the same premium-burger diner via dine-in venues, both franchise heavily, and several Burger Urge senior hires (Thomas Gunter, Troy McDonagh) come directly from Betty's Burgers.
• Grill'd: Leading Australian gourmet burger chain with a national footprint, strong ethical sourcing positioning, and a dine-in casual restaurant model. Overlaps directly with Burger Urge on premium ingredients, themed experience, dine-in focus, and Australian consumer base.
• Burger Project: Neil Perry-backed Australian gourmet burger concept that emphasises fresh, premium ingredients in a quick-service format. Direct peer in the premium-burger category, though primarily company-operated rather than franchised.

Broad incumbents

• McDonald's Australia: Largest QSR operator in Australia and Burger Urge's source of senior training leadership (Rebecca Mahar spent 19 years there). Competes across all day-parts and price tiers and anchors overall category spend in the Australian burger market.
• Oporto: Australian flame-grilled chicken QSR chain that occasionally extends into burgers. Troy McDonagh previously held senior roles here; overlaps with Burger Urge on franchise model, dine-in casual format, and Australian consumer base.
• Hungry Jack's: Australia's second-largest QSR chain and dominant burger-focused competitor. While positioned as mass-market rather than gourmet, it sets consumer price expectations and competes for the same burger-eating occasions, particularly in regional centres where Burger Urge operates.
• Red Rooster: Long-established Australian QSR chain, particularly strong in regional areas. Troy McDonagh (now on Burger Urge's advisory board) previously held senior roles at Red Rooster, making it both a competitor and a source of operating expertise.

Others

• Gloria Jean's Coffees: Australian franchise coffee chain where Troy McDonagh held prior executive roles. Not a direct burger peer, but relevant as a comparable Australian franchise system and source of franchising expertise now advising Burger Urge.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BurgerUrge
• Instagraminstagram.com/burgerurge

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

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 Burger Urge