Hesburger
Encyclopedia
Hesburger is a fast-food chain based in Turku
, Finland
. Today, it is the largest Finnish hamburger restaurant chain, with a larger presence in the Finnish market than U.S.
-based McDonald's
. With only 12 outlets in 1992, Hesburger expanded to over 200 restaurants in 60 towns across Finland over the following decade, absorbing rival chain Carrols
in 2002. Hesburger has also expanded to international markets, opening outlets in the Baltic states
and Germany
. There was a Hesburger in Damascus
, Syria
for a short period between 2004 and 2006, but it was closed as unprofitable. Hesburger has 204 restaurants in Finland, 29 in Latvia
, 23 in Estonia
, 23 in Lithuania
, three in Germany
and four in Russia
. Hesburger continues with attempts to penetrate the Middle East
markets, via contracts with local companies.
The company name is a portmanteau of two words; Hes is a domestic version of the given name
of the founder, Heikki "Hessu" Salmela; burger is a shortened variant of hamburger
.
The chain's history reaches back to 1966, when Heikki Salmela (born 1946) opened a street food
kiosk
. He later opened the first Hesburger in 1980 in Turku, which became the first element of the first fast food restaurant chain in Finland. In the 1980s the chain grew fast. Salmela sold the chain and several hotels in 1988 for almost 200 million Finnish markkas. Three years later, during the recession
, he bought it back for 25 million.
Many Hesburger restaurants offer WiFi
coverage, and some use RFID and other real-time commerce technologies to serve the customers.
There is also a Hesburger Hotel located in Finland's third largest urban centre, Turku. This Hesburger hotel has a 24 hour Hesburger restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel, which is also the reception of the hotel when checking in. The rooms of the hotel also offer free internet access.
Hesburger primarily sells hamburger
s, cheeseburger
s, salad
s, french fries
, soft drink
s, milkshake
s, and dessert
s. Hesburger also have pasta restaurants (which offer a pasta
menu in addition to the normal one), Hesecafes (which sell pastries and specialty coffee
s), hot dog
outlets, and restaurants which also offer carwash services to their customers.
Locations operate in the following countries:
Had restaurant(s): (2004-2006)
Planning to open in:
Turku
Turku is a city situated on the southwest coast of Finland at the mouth of the Aura River. It is located in the region of Finland Proper. It is believed that Turku came into existence during the end of the 13th century which makes it the oldest city in Finland...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
. Today, it is the largest Finnish hamburger restaurant chain, with a larger presence in the Finnish market than U.S.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
-based McDonald's
McDonald's
McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of hamburger fast food restaurants, serving around 64 million customers daily in 119 countries. Headquartered in the United States, the company began in 1940 as a barbecue restaurant operated by the eponymous Richard and Maurice McDonald; in 1948...
. With only 12 outlets in 1992, Hesburger expanded to over 200 restaurants in 60 towns across Finland over the following decade, absorbing rival chain Carrols
Carrols (Finland)
Carrols is a chain of fast-food restaurants in various cities in Finland.The company originally came to Finland as a franchise of an international chain named Carrols Corporation. However, it was eventually completely bought by the Finnish company Tuko which in turn was acquired by the Finnish...
in 2002. Hesburger has also expanded to international markets, opening outlets in the Baltic states
Baltic states
The term Baltic states refers to the Baltic territories which gained independence from the Russian Empire in the wake of World War I: primarily the contiguous trio of Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania ; Finland also fell within the scope of the term after initially gaining independence in the 1920s.The...
and Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. There was a Hesburger in Damascus
Damascus
Damascus , commonly known in Syria as Al Sham , and as the City of Jasmine , is the capital and the second largest city of Syria after Aleppo, both are part of the country's 14 governorates. In addition to being one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, Damascus is a major...
, Syria
Syria
Syria , officially the Syrian Arab Republic , is a country in Western Asia, bordering Lebanon and the Mediterranean Sea to the West, Turkey to the north, Iraq to the east, Jordan to the south, and Israel to the southwest....
for a short period between 2004 and 2006, but it was closed as unprofitable. Hesburger has 204 restaurants in Finland, 29 in Latvia
Latvia
Latvia , officially the Republic of Latvia , is a country in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by Estonia , to the south by Lithuania , to the east by the Russian Federation , to the southeast by Belarus and shares maritime borders to the west with Sweden...
, 23 in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, 23 in Lithuania
Lithuania
Lithuania , officially the Republic of Lithuania is a country in Northern Europe, the biggest of the three Baltic states. It is situated along the southeastern shore of the Baltic Sea, whereby to the west lie Sweden and Denmark...
, three in Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
and four in Russia
Russia
Russia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
. Hesburger continues with attempts to penetrate the Middle East
Middle East
The Middle East is a region that encompasses Western Asia and Northern Africa. It is often used as a synonym for Near East, in opposition to Far East...
markets, via contracts with local companies.
The company name is a portmanteau of two words; Hes is a domestic version of the given name
Given name
A given name, in Western contexts often referred to as a first name, is a personal name that specifies and differentiates between members of a group of individuals, especially in a family, all of whose members usually share the same family name...
of the founder, Heikki "Hessu" Salmela; burger is a shortened variant of hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
.
The chain's history reaches back to 1966, when Heikki Salmela (born 1946) opened a street food
Street food
Street food is ready-to-eat food or drink sold in a street or other public place, such as a market or fair, by a hawker or vendor, often from a portable stall. While some street foods are regional, many are not, having spread beyond their region of origin. Most street food are both finger and fast...
kiosk
Kiosk
Kiosk is a small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. Kiosks were common in Persia, India, Pakistan, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward...
. He later opened the first Hesburger in 1980 in Turku, which became the first element of the first fast food restaurant chain in Finland. In the 1980s the chain grew fast. Salmela sold the chain and several hotels in 1988 for almost 200 million Finnish markkas. Three years later, during the recession
Recession
In economics, a recession is a business cycle contraction, a general slowdown in economic activity. During recessions, many macroeconomic indicators vary in a similar way...
, he bought it back for 25 million.
Many Hesburger restaurants offer WiFi
WIFI
WIFI is a radio station broadcasting a brokered format. Licensed to Florence, New Jersey, USA, the station is currently operated by Florence Broadcasting Partners, LLC.This station was previously owned by Real Life Broadcasting...
coverage, and some use RFID and other real-time commerce technologies to serve the customers.
There is also a Hesburger Hotel located in Finland's third largest urban centre, Turku. This Hesburger hotel has a 24 hour Hesburger restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel, which is also the reception of the hotel when checking in. The rooms of the hotel also offer free internet access.
Hesburger primarily sells hamburger
Hamburger
A hamburger is a sandwich consisting of a cooked patty of ground meat usually placed inside a sliced bread roll...
s, cheeseburger
Cheeseburger
A cheeseburger is a hamburger with cheese that has been added to it. Traditionally, the cheese is placed on top of the patty, but the burger can include many variations in structure, ingredients, and composition...
s, salad
Salad
Salad is any of a wide variety of dishes, including vegetable salads; salads of pasta, legumes, eggs, or grains; mixed salads incorporating meat, poultry, or seafood; and fruit salads. They may include a mixture of cold and hot, often including raw vegetables or fruits.Green salads include leaf...
s, french fries
French fries
French fries , chips, fries, or French-fried potatoes are strips of deep-fried potato. North Americans tend to refer to any pieces of deep-fried potatoes as fries or French fries, while in the United Kingdom, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand, long, thinly cut slices of deep-fried potatoes are...
, soft drink
Soft drink
A soft drink is a non-alcoholic beverage that typically contains water , a sweetener, and a flavoring agent...
s, milkshake
Milkshake
A milkshake is a sweet, cold beverage which is made from milk, ice cream or iced milk, and flavorings or sweeteners such as fruit syrup or chocolate sauce....
s, and dessert
Dessert
In cultures around the world, dessert is a course that typically comes at the end of a meal, usually consisting of sweet food. The word comes from the French language as dessert and this from Old French desservir, "to clear the table" and "to serve." Common Western desserts include cakes, biscuits,...
s. Hesburger also have pasta restaurants (which offer a pasta
Pasta
Pasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
menu in addition to the normal one), Hesecafes (which sell pastries and specialty coffee
Specialty coffee
"Specialty coffee" was first used in 1974 by Erna Knutsen in an issue of Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. Knutsen used this term to describe beans of the best flavor which are produced in special microclimates....
s), hot dog
Hot dog
A hot dog is a sausage served in a sliced bun. It is very often garnished with mustard, ketchup, onions, mayonnaise, relish and/or sauerkraut.-History:...
outlets, and restaurants which also offer carwash services to their customers.
Locations operate in the following countries:
Had restaurant(s): (2004-2006)
Planning to open in:
Operations
- Hesburger hamburger restaurants
- Hesburger pasta restaurants (pastaPastaPasta is a staple food of traditional Italian cuisine, now of worldwide renown. It takes the form of unleavened dough, made in Italy, mostly of durum wheat , water and sometimes eggs. Pasta comes in a variety of different shapes that serve for both decoration and to act as a carrier for the...
menu in addition to the normal one) - Hesecafe (hamburgers, specialty coffeeSpecialty coffee"Specialty coffee" was first used in 1974 by Erna Knutsen in an issue of Tea & Coffee Trade Journal. Knutsen used this term to describe beans of the best flavor which are produced in special microclimates....
s and pastries) - Hesehotelli (a hotel with 24 hours Hesburger restaurant acting also as the hotel reception)
- Hese kotituotteet (retail products)
- Hese Nakkari (snack kioskKioskKiosk is a small, separated garden pavilion open on some or all sides. Kiosks were common in Persia, India, Pakistan, and in the Ottoman Empire from the 13th century onward...
products) - Heseautopesu (car washCar washA car wash or auto wash is a facility used to clean the exterior and, in some cases, the interior of motor vehicles.- Categories :...
services for Hesburger customers)