What Hat Creek Burger Company, Ltd. does

Hat Creek Burger Company, Ltd. is a privately held, family-friendly fast-casual restaurant chain founded in 2008 in Austin, Texas. The company operates approximately 27 company-owned locations concentrated in the four major Texas metros — Austin (including West Lake Hills, Georgetown, Round Rock, Lakeway, Dripping Springs, Buda), Dallas-Fort Worth (Allen, Richardson, Roanoke, Keller, Coppell, McKinney, Little Elm/Frisco, Rowlett, Sachse, Walnut Hill, Mansfield), Houston (Katy, Fulshear, Spring/Klein), and San Antonio (Live Oak). The corporate headquarters is in West Lake Hills, TX, and no parent company, institutional investors, or franchise structure is disclosed.

The company's core product is a menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads, bowls, chicken nuggets, kids meals, sides, milkshakes, slushies, beer and wine, with breakfast at select locations, differentiated by all-natural, never-frozen beef sourced from Goodstock by Nolan Ryan and gluten-free, hormone-free chicken nuggets. The technology layer consists of a Hat Creek Rewards mobile loyalty app (iOS/Android), an online ordering platform (web and app for pickup and delivery), a digital gift card program via Valuetec/FIS, and a separate catering ordering storefront. Dietary accommodations include gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, keto, and paleo menus; secret-menu and limited-time offerings (e.g., Dirty Soda) provide rotation. The business uses Google Analytics, Google Ads, Google Maps, and Vimeo as standard third-party digital infrastructure.

Hat Creek generates revenue through four primary streams: (1) in-store restaurant food and beverage sales across dine-in, drive-thru, and takeout; (2) catering and group orders via a dedicated catering portal; (3) gift card sales ($10–$500 denominations); and (4) the recurring-engagement loyalty program. GTM is direct-to-consumer, augmented by community engagement through Spirit Night fundraisers (25% of sales to participating schools), local school and minor-league sports sponsorships, and a flagship "Official Burger of Austin FC" partnership. Customer segments are primarily families with children, youth and amateur sports teams, and general consumers seeking fast-casual meals with transparent ingredient sourcing. No revenue, headcount, ownership, or funding figures are publicly disclosed.

Name

Hat Creek Burger Company, Ltd.

Legal name

Hat Creek Burger Company

Website

https://hatcreekburgers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Hat Creek Burger Company is a privately held, family-friendly fast-casual burger chain operating about 27 company-owned restaurants across Texas (Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, San Antonio), serving burgers, chicken, salads, and catering with a Nolan Ryan beef sourcing angle.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast Casual Restaurant

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Food Services and Drinking Places (722)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Burger Fast Casual (THAFABAA)

Keywords

• Fast casual dining
• Burger restaurant chain
• Catering services
• Online food ordering
• Family friendly restaurants

Headquarters

HQ city

West Lake Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Restaurant food and beverage sales: Core revenue from selling burgers, sandwiches, salads, nuggets, sides, drinks, and milkshakes through dine-in, drive-thru, and takeout at restaurant locations.
2. Catering and group orders: Revenue from catering services including burger boxes, party platters, and bulk orders for events and parties.
3. Gift card sales: Sale of gift cards ranging from $10-$500 through their Valuetec-powered platform.
4. Hat Creek Rewards loyalty program: Points-based loyalty program where members earn 1 point per $1 spent, redeemable for free food and exclusive offers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Hat Creek Burger Company operates a Texas-based fast-casual restaurant chain selling burgers, chicken, sandwiches, salads, bowls, sides, milkshakes, drinks, and breakfast at 27 dine-in and drive-thru locations across the Austin, Dallas-Fort Worth, Houston, and San Antonio metros. The company complements in-store dining with online and app ordering, catering and party booking services, gift cards, and a points-based loyalty rewards program.

Product overview

Hat Creek Burger Company is a family-friendly restaurant chain operating as a single unified brand with multiple service channels. The core offering consists of sit-down and take-out dining at 26+ locations across Texas, supported by an integrated digital ecosystem that includes a mobile rewards app (Hat Creek Rewards), online ordering via web and app, catering services with group ordering options, party booking capabilities, and gift card programs. The restaurant's food menu includes burgers, sandwiches, salads, bowls, chicken nuggets, kids meals, sides, milkshakes, slushies, and beverages including beer and wine, with breakfast served at select locations. Dietary accommodations include gluten-free, vegan, vegetarian, keto, and paleo options. Limited-time offerings like Dirty Soda and specialty shakes provide seasonal variety. The company also maintains a Secret Menu with off-menu specialty items.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hat Creek Rewards: Loyalty rewards program where members earn 1 point per $1 spent, redeemable for free food, exclusive offers, and birthday rewards. Available via mobile app and online account.

Products and services

• Hat Creek Rewards App Mobile loyalty application enabling customers to earn 1 point per $1 spent, redeem rewards for free food and offers, place mobile orders ahead, and receive exclusive promotions and a free birthday shake; available on iOS and Android.
• Online Ordering System Web-based and mobile-app ordering platform that allows customers to place orders for pickup or delivery from any Hat Creek Burger Company location.
• Gift Cards Digital and physical gift cards available in denominations from $10 to $500, sold online through the Valuetec platform and at restaurant locations for use across the Hat Creek chain.
• Party Booking Service Event hosting service for birthday parties, Spirit Nights, and pajama parties at restaurant locations, including reserved outdoor tables (up to 40 people), special menus, and party platters.
• Catering and Group Orders Catering service offering burger boxes, party platters, nuggets platters, sides, and Sacked Lunches combo meals (burger or sandwich, chips, and cookie) for large groups, parties, and corporate events.
• Restaurant Dining Menu Full restaurant menu of burgers, sandwiches, salads, bowls, chicken nuggets, kids meals, sides, slushies, milkshakes, drinks, beer and wine, plus breakfast at select locations, served via dine-in, drive-thru, and patio seating across Texas.

Quantifiable outcome

• 25% of sales donated to schools during Spirit Night fundraisers

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.

• Goodstock by Nolan RyancoreOthersPremium beef supplier providing all-natural, never-frozen beef for all burger patties. This is a core ingredient partnership that differentiates Hat Creek's quality positioning.
• Cuvée CoffeeminorOthersCoffee supplier for the restaurant's freshly brewed daily coffee offerings.
• Austin FCflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial Burger of Austin FC - the company's flagship sports partnership. Includes limited-edition Verde Burger menu item, stadium presence near Q2 Stadium, and marketing association with the professional soccer club.
• Frisco RoughRidersminorGTM or Marketing PartnerMinor league baseball team partnership at the Walnut Hill location in Dallas.
• Bryon Nelson High School / Roanoke BobcatsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal school sports team sponsorship. Proud sponsor of the Bobcats sports program.
• Keller ISD SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSchool district sports sponsorship at the Keller, TX location.
• Coppell High School SportsminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal high school sports team sponsorship at the Coppell, TX location.
• Allen High School / EaglesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSchool sponsorship near Allen High School Eagle Stadium location.
• Various Texas Schools (Spirit Night Program)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSpirit Night fundraising program where 25% of sales on designated nights go to participating schools. Major community engagement initiative across all locations.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smashburger: Fast-casual burger chain with a multi-city U.S. footprint and menu structure (burgers, sides, shakes, catering) that mirrors Hat Creek's positioning and product mix.
• BurgerFi: Fast-casual chain specializing in natural-ingredient burgers and catering, overlapping with Hat Creek on premium-ingredient sourcing and event/group order offerings.
• Hopdoddy Burger Bar: Austin-headquartered fast-casual burger chain with a similar premium-ingredient positioning, family-friendly atmosphere, and Texas multi-metro footprint that overlaps directly with Hat Creek's core markets.
• Culver's: Regional fast-casual chain known for ButterBurgers and frozen custard, with a strong family-friendly community-sponsorship model directly comparable to Hat Creek's playground-and-Spirit-Night positioning.
• Shake Shack: Public fast-casual burger chain competing on premium ingredients, modern design, and digital ordering — directly comparable to Hat Creek's positioning and a growing threat in Texas metros.
• Five Guys: National fast-casual burger chain with a similarly simple menu focused on burgers, fries, and shakes; overlaps directly with Hat Creek on core product category and dine-in/takeout customer occasions.
• Fatburger: Fast-casual burger franchise with a customizable, family-friendly menu comparable to Hat Creek's offering, and an active Texas footprint in several of Hat Creek's markets.
• Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers: Fast-casual steakburger and frozen custard chain with active Texas expansion and catering services, competing for the same family dining and dessert occasions as Hat Creek.
• In-N-Out Burger: Regional fast-casual burger chain actively expanding into Texas, competing on quality, simplicity, and value — directly comparable to Hat Creek's fast-casual burger offering.

Broad incumbents

• Whataburger: Iconic Texas-based burger chain with hundreds of locations across the state; competes with Hat Creek for the same family and general-consumer burger occasions in Austin, DFW, Houston, and San Antonio, but at much larger scale and broader portfolio.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/hatcreekburgers
• Facebookfacebook.com/HatCreekBurgers
• Instagraminstagram.com/hatcreekburgers
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hat-creek-burger-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Hat Creek Burger Company, Ltd.