What MAX Premium Burgers does

MAX Premium Burgers is a family-owned fast-food burger chain founded in 1968 in Gällivare, Sweden, currently operating 187+ restaurants across Sweden, Poland, Norway, Denmark, the UAE, and Egypt with a global workforce of 6,000-7,000. The company serves mass-market consumers seeking a premium-positioned, sustainability-differentiated alternative to global QSR incumbents, with a menu centered on hamburgers supplemented by chicken, plant-based options (including its proprietary Delifresh Plant Beef), fries, and combo meals at price points around 38.45 PLN (~$10 USD) in Poland. Core products include freshly prepared beef burgers, chicken offerings, and a proprietary plant-based line developed through in-house R&D; the chain's operational backbone combines owned dine-in and drive-thru restaurants with multi-aggregator delivery partnerships (Uber Eats, Glovo, Pyszne.pl, Wolt) and unconventional co-locations (e.g., BP petrol stations in Poland).

The business model is a directly-operated and franchised QSR retail model with revenue generated per-transaction at the point of sale (dine-in, drive-thru, takeaway, delivery). The company differentiates on three axes: a Scandinavian design and brand identity, a climate-positive operating posture (achieved in 2018 and validated by the UN Global Climate Action Award in 2019), and curated local-collaboration product lines (e.g., the 2025 Polish chef Jagna Niedzielska 'Rywal Umami' offering). Governance is anchored by the controlling Bergfors family; the Fair Distribution Foundation (established 2009) provides a long-horizon ownership buffer that enables investment in sustainability and proprietary product development without quarterly earnings pressure. Internationally, Poland is the primary growth engine, with 22 restaurants opened since 2017 entry, while the Polish subsidiary (MAX Poland sp. z o.o.) operates with a 63-employee HQ and operational team.

Name

MAX Premium Burgers

Legal name

MAX Burgers Aktiebolag

Website

https://maxpremiumburgers.pl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1968

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

MAX Premium Burgers is a family-owned Swedish fast-food burger chain founded in 1968, operating 187+ restaurants across Sweden, Poland, Norway, Denmark, the UAE, and Egypt, serving climate-conscious mass-market consumers with a differentiated sustainability and plant-based menu.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast Casual Burger Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)

akta.pro primary industry

Burger QSR (THAFAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Burger Fast Casual (THAFABAA), Health & Wellness / Functional Fast Casual (macro-counted, high-protein, allergen-friendly) (THAFABAO)

Keywords

• Fast casual burgers
• Plant-based menu
• Drive-thru restaurants
• Climate-positive dining
• Burger meal combos

Headquarters

HQ city

Luleå

HQ country

Sweden

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant food and beverage sales: MAX Premium Burgers generates revenue primarily through the sale of food and beverages at its restaurant locations. Revenue is derived from dine-in, drive-thru, takeaway, and delivery orders placed directly through the MAX Express app, the MAX website (maxorder.pl), or through third-party delivery platforms (Uber Eats, Wolt, Glovo, Pyszne.pl).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

MAX Premium Burgers operates a fast-casual hamburger restaurant chain selling burger meal combos, sides, shakes, and beverages through dine-in, drive-thru, takeaway, web ordering (maxorder.pl), the MAX Express mobile app, and third-party delivery platforms. The menu spans beef, chicken, fish, halloumi, and proprietary plant-based options including Delifresh Plant Beef. Every menu item is labeled with its carbon footprint and the company offsets 110% of emissions through tree-planting.

Product overview

MAX Premium Burgers is a Swedish burger chain operating primarily as a restaurant business with multiple service channels: dine-in, takeaway, drive-thru, and delivery. The core offering consists of burger meal packages combining burgers with Crispy Fries and beverages. The product portfolio includes flagship burger lines (Rywal series featuring Polish-Swedish collaborations, Spicy Avocado California-style burgers, Grand Chicken crispy chicken burgers, DeliVery Cheezy delivery-optimized line), plant-based alternatives (Delifresh Plant Beef, Crispy Green Nuggets, Mung Bean Burger), Premium Shakes & Smoothies, and various sides (fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks, chicken wings, salads). Additional offerings include Choco Churros desserts and Iced Latte beverages. The company also differentiates through its climate-positive initiative, labeling menu items with carbon footprint data and offsetting 110% of emissions through tree planting.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Premium Shakes & Smoothies: Milkshakes and smoothies including Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, Espresso Caramel, Cookie Dough, Mango Passion, Pink Peach, Very Berry, Mucho Mango
• Green Menu
• Rywal (Lumberjack) Line
• Rywal Umami

Products and services

• MAX Express Mobile App MAX's mobile app for iOS and Android that lets individual consumers browse the menu, customize and place orders for pickup or delivery.
• MAXorder.pl Web Ordering Web-based ordering platform that lets consumers place and prepay for orders for in-restaurant pickup.
• Drive-Thru Service Drive-through service allowing customers to order and pick up food from their vehicles at MAX restaurant locations.
• Burger Meal Combos (Zestawy) Complete meal packages combining burgers with Crispy Fries and beverages, including Classic, Cheeseburger, Double, Spicy Avocado, Rywal, Grand Chicken, and DeliVery Cheezy lines.
• Rywal Burger Line Flagship burger line combining Polish and Swedish flavors, including Rywal Umami, Rywal Złoty and original Rywal with Swedish blueberry BBQ sauce. Available in beef, chicken, plant-based variants.
• Premium Shakes & Smoothies Premium milkshakes and smoothies including Cookie Dough, Mango Passion, Pink Peach, Very Berry, Mucho Mango, and classic flavors like vanilla, espresso caramel, chocolate and strawberry.
• Delifresh Plant Beef Proprietary plant-based meat alternative developed in-house that mimics the look and taste of beef using plant protein; integral to MAX's plant-based menu.
• Choco Churros Mini churros crispy on the outside and filled with melting chocolate inside, available in three sizes and a Deluxe variant served with ice cream, chocolate sauce and sprinkles.
• Iced Latte Iced coffee beverages available in classic, Chocolate, Vanilla and Caramel variants, with an oat milk option.
• Climate-Positive Menu Labeling Menu-level program where every item displays its carbon footprint and the company offsets more than 100% of emissions through Plan Vivo-certified tree planting in Africa.
• Delifresh Product Line Core burger product line under the Delifresh brand that emphasizes high-quality, freshly prepared ingredients.
• Crunchy Nacho Burgers Mexican-style seasonal burger line with salsa, taco seasoning, jalapeño mayo and crispy nachos, available in beef, halloumi and Plant Beef variants.
• Spicy Avocado Burgers California-style seasonal burger line with avocado, jalapeño and cream-onion sauce, available in beef, Plant Beef, halloumi and chicken variants.
• Grand Chicken Series Series of three crispy chicken burgers (Grand Chicken Sandwich, Grand BBQ Chicken, Grand Buffalo Chicken) served in a golden bun, plus Buffalo Hot Wings.
• Rywal Umami Burger Burgers featuring forest mushroom paste with truffle, Umami sauce with forest berry, crispy mozzarella and Frisco bun, available in five variants including beef, beef & bacon, crispy chicken, Crispy Supreme and Plant Beef.

Quantifiable outcome

• MAX absorbs 110% of its CO2 emissions, making all menu items climate-positive (as of June 14, 2018).
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Jagna Niedzielska (Polish chef and culinary personality)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 November 2025Jagna Niedzielska, a Polish chef, TV personality, and advocate for conscious cooking and local ingredients, co-developed the recipe for the Rywal Umami burger — a signature limited-edition product line. This was described as MAX Premium Burgers' first such co-development project in Poland, combining Polish culinary traditions with Swedish precision.
• BP (British Petroleum)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 September 2022MAX partnered with BP as a key business partner for the restaurant location in Łomianki. The Łomianki restaurant is co-located with a BP petrol station, accessible from both the BP station (via ul. Kolejowa) and from the main road (ul. Warsawska / S7). This is described as one of MAX's main business partnerships for the location.
• GKS Jastrzębie S.A.minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 August 2022MAX Premium Burgers entered into a sponsorship agreement with GKS Jastrzębie S.A., a local football (soccer) club in Jastrzębie-Zdrój, in connection with the opening of its 18th restaurant in Poland. The partnership aims to support and promote local sport and community initiatives in the region.
• Fair Distribution Foundation (Stiftelsen Rättvis Fördelning)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Fair Distribution Foundation was established by Curt Bergfors in 2009 and owns 9% preference shares in MAX Burgers. The Foundation ensures that 7–10% of MAX's annual net profit is distributed to people in need around the world through development projects. This is a core component of MAX's social responsibility model.
• Jonas Mårtensson (Head Chef of MAX Burgers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJonas Mårtensson serves as Head Chef of MAX Burgers and has been instrumental in developing proprietary products including Delifresh Plant Beef, all seasonal menus, and signature burger lines. His background includes work for the Swedish Royal Household.
• WoltcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWolt is a third-party food delivery platform partner operating in Poland. Wolt delivers MAX menu items to customers' homes and offices across multiple MAX restaurant locations in Poland.
• Uber EatscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUber Eats is a third-party food delivery platform partner in Poland. MAX menu items are available for delivery via the Uber Eats app. Uber Eats was also used for a special limited-time campaign — the #SecretBurger — available exclusively through Uber Eats in November 2025.
• GlovocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGlovo is a third-party delivery platform partner in Poland, enabling delivery of MAX menu items across restaurant locations.
• Pyszne.plcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPyszne.pl is a Polish third-party food delivery platform partner enabling online ordering and delivery of MAX menu items.
• Bolt FoodminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBolt Food is a third-party delivery platform available at select MAX restaurant locations in Poland (e.g., Babice Nowe, Łódź).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Wendy's: Global burger QSR chain with established presence in selected European markets. Competes in the same made-to-order, square-patty, customization-led positioning that underpins MAX's menu platform.
• Burger King: Direct burger QSR competitor owned by Restaurant Brands International, present across MAX's core European markets. Competes for the same mainstream dine-in, drive-thru and delivery occasions with a comparable value-plus-premium menu structure.
• Carl's Jr. American burger QSR brand operated internationally by parent company CKE Restaurants Holdings, overlapping with MAX on premium and indulgent burger positioning plus delivery and digital-led growth strategies.
• Shake Shack: Premium fast-casual burger and shake specialist publicly listed in the US. Closely comparable in terms of premium pricing, limited-time innovation cadence and brand-led differentiation — the most analogous Western premium-burger model to MAX.
• Five Guys: Premium American burger chain expanding across Europe with a custom-built, fresh-ingredient positioning that closely parallels MAX's 'Premium Burgers' promise and customization-led value proposition.

Regional players

• BurgerFuel: New Zealand-origin premium gourmet burger chain with European franchise expansion. Comparable to MAX in premium-burger positioning, custom-built menu architecture and sustainability-oriented brand storytelling.
• Telepizza / Food Delivery Brands: Iberia-headquartered QSR/delivery-focused chain owned by Food Delivery Brands with meaningful presence in Poland. Competes for Polish delivery occasions and casual QSR spend alongside MAX's Polish footprint.

Emerging players

• Smashburger: US-headquartered fast-casual burger concept focused on smashed-style patties with a customizable menu. Closely parallels MAX's customization (30+ modifiers per burger) and limited-time product cadence.

Broad incumbents

• McDonald's: Global QSR leader and MAX's largest direct competitor in Sweden, Poland, Norway and Denmark. Operates counter-service, drive-thru and delivery across the same geographies and burger category as MAX, with substantially greater scale and marketing spend.
• KFC (Yum! Brands): Sibling QSR brand within Yum! Brands' European portfolio competing for the same dine-in, drive-thru and delivery occasions in Sweden, Poland, Norway and Denmark — useful for benchmarking multi-market QSR unit economics.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/maxburgerspolska
• Instagraminstagram.com/maxpremiumburgers/?hl=pl
• TikToktiktok.com/@maxpremiumburgers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/max-premium-burgers

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 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 MAX Premium Burgers