Better Burger Society

What Better Burger Society does

Better Burger Society Oy is a Finnish-registered private holding partnership that aggregates European premium fast-casual burger restaurant brands under a unified corporate structure. The company was formed to build a leading platform in the European premium burger segment by combining local brands with strong regional identities. Its two current member brands are Friends & Brgrs, a Finnish chain founded in 2014 in Pietarsaari that operates 35 restaurants using more than 95% Finnish ingredients with all buns, beef, fries, and sauces prepared in-restaurant from scratch; and Holy Cow!, a Swiss chain based in Lausanne with approximately a decade of national growth, sourcing all ingredients (meat, bread, potatoes, salad) locally in Switzerland and striving to source at least one product from each canton. Better Burger Society itself does not sell a unified consumer product; it provides cross-country shared services in digitalization, marketing concepts, indirect procurement, product development, and operating model support to its member brands while preserving each brand's local identity.

The company is headquartered at Hatanpään Valtatie 1 B in Tampere, Finland (Business ID 3371950-5), and is owned by NoHo Partners Plc (a Finnish restaurant group operating approximately 300 restaurants, bars, pubs, nightclubs and entertainment venues, listed on the Helsinki Stock Exchange since 2013), Intera Partners Oy (a Finnish private equity firm founded in 2007 focused on growth and internationalization of Finnish and Swedish companies), and management and founders of the member brands. The group operates through an intermediate holding entity (HC BidCo Oy) and distributes through physical restaurant locations plus a newly launched online ordering platform (order.site/friends-brgrs-sf). Revenue is generated entirely through consumer food and beverage sales at restaurants and via online ordering; pricing is menu-based but specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The company employs standard digital marketing and social media (Instagram accounts @friendsandbrgrs and @holycowgourmetburger) as its primary customer acquisition channels, with no disclosed AI/ML capabilities, APIs, or proprietary technology products.

Name

Better Burger Society

Legal name

Better Burger Society Oy

Website

https://betterburgersociety.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Better Burger Society Oy is a Finnish holding partnership that aggregates European premium burger restaurant brands, currently Friends & Brgrs (35 Finnish locations) and Holy Cow! (Swiss chain), backed by NoHo Partners and Intera Partners to pursue cross-country operational synergies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-Casual Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812), Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Burger Fast Casual (THAFABAA)

Keywords

• Premium burger restaurants
• Fast-casual dining
• Restaurant chain operations
• Locally sourced ingredients
• Burger brand partnership

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampere

HQ country

Finland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Restaurant Sales: Revenue generated from operating premium burger restaurants under owned local brands Friends & Brgrs and Holy Cow!. Customers purchase food and beverages at physical restaurant locations and through online ordering.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Better Burger Society is a partnership of European premium burger companies that operates premium burger restaurants through member brands in their local markets. Friends & Brgrs runs 35 restaurants in Finland with more than 95% Finnish ingredients, baking buns in-restaurant daily, grinding its own beef, and making sauces and fries from scratch. Holy Cow! operates a Swiss premium burger chain sourcing all ingredients (meat, bread, potatoes, salad) locally from Swiss producers and striving to buy at least one product from each canton. The partnership generates cross-country synergies in digitalization, marketing, indirect procurement, product development, and operating model.

Product overview

Better Burger Society is a partnership of European premium burger companies that operates as a holding/organizational structure supporting member brands. The company does not offer a unified software product; rather, it aggregates local burger restaurant chains including Friends & Brgrs (Finnish burger chain with 35 locations) and Holy Cow! (Swiss gourmet burger chain). The parent organization provides cross-country synergies in digitalization, marketing concepts, indirect procurement, product development, and operating model support to its member brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Friends & Brgrs: Finnish premium burger chain with 35 restaurants, known for house-baked buns, freshly ground beef, fries from fresh potatoes, and house-made sauces. Uses more than 95% Finnish ingredients.
• Holy Cow!

Products and services

• Friends & Brgrs restaurants Premium burger restaurant chain operating 35 restaurants in Finland, using more than 95% Finnish ingredients, baking buns in-restaurant daily, grinding its own beef, and making sauces and fries from scratch. Targets consumers seeking premium, locally sourced fast-casual burgers.
• Holy Cow! restaurants Swiss premium burger chain based in Lausanne, sourcing all ingredients (meat, bread, potatoes, salad) locally from Swiss producers and striving to buy at least one product from each canton. Maintains short supply routes to minimize carbon footprint and avoid preservatives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Friends & Brgrs operates 35 restaurants and counting since founding in 2014

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Friends & BrgrscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFriends & Brgrs is a member company of Better Burger Society - a Finnish premium burger chain founded in 2014 in Pietarsaari. Operates 35 restaurants with more than 95% Finnish ingredients, baking own buns and grinding own beef in-restaurant daily. Represents the Finnish market presence within the partnership.
• Holy Cow!coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHoly Cow! is a member company of Better Burger Society - a Swiss premium burger chain based in Lausanne with a decade of national growth. Committed to Swissness, Swiss taste, and Swiss made. Sources all ingredients (meat, bread, potatoes, salad) locally in Switzerland and strives to buy at least one product from each canton. Represents the Swiss market presence within the partnership.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Honest Burgers: UK premium burger chain known for fresh, locally-sourced British beef and rosemary chips. Mirrors the BBS brands' premium, ingredient-led positioning in another European market.
• Bastard Burgers: Swedish premium burger chain with a multi-site Nordic footprint and craft-style menu. Comparable to Friends & Brgrs on regional scale, premium pricing and casual restaurant format.
• Shake Shack: US-listed premium fast-casual burger chain expanding across Europe with a focus on fresh, sustainably-sourced ingredients. Directly comparable to BBS on premium burger positioning and growing European footprint.
• Gourmet Burger Kitchen (GBK): UK premium burger casual-dining chain with a multi-site footprint and elevated menu. Comparable to BBS on European casual-dining premium burger positioning and unit-economics profile.
• Big Fernand: French premium burger chain built around local, high-quality ingredients and a craft-style menu. Closely comparable to Holy Cow! on premium positioning, European footprint and ingredient-driven differentiation.
• Max Burgers: Sweden-headquartered premium burger chain with Nordic presence and a long-standing sustainability and local-sourcing proposition. Most analogous Nordic peer to Friends & Brgrs on geography, premium positioning and sustainability messaging.
• Five Guys: US-founded premium burger chain with broad European footprint offering customized burgers with fresh ingredients. Closest direct competitor to Friends & Brgrs and Holy Cow! on premium positioning, counter-service model and ingredient-led menu.
• Byron: UK heritage premium burger chain with table-service restaurants and a focus on quality beef. Comparable to BBS on premium casual dining positioning in the European burger segment.

Broad incumbents

• McDonald's Corporation: Global QSR leader and the dominant burger chain across Europe. Sets the consumer price benchmark and convenience standard against which premium chains like Friends & Brgrs and Holy Cow! differentiate.
• Restaurant Brands International: Multi-brand QSR parent (Burger King, Tim Hortons, Popeyes, Firehouse Subs) with extensive European Burger King presence. Relevant broader incumbent competing for premium-burger-adjacent consumers and real estate.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/friendsandbrgrs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries3 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 Better Burger Society