Holy Cow!

Holy Cow! started in 2009 in the back streets of Lausanne with a simple promise: a fresh gourmet burger made from local ingredients, served in five to eight minutes, as fast as a fast-food chain. The recipes came from the travels of its founder, Richard, and the original slogan invited customers to “join the fast-food revolution”. In 2017 a small group of local entrepreneurs led by Adrian took the brand over and grew it into a national chain, with Richard staying on to look after quality.

The chain leans hard on being Swiss. The beef and chicken are Swiss, the drinks are Swiss-made down to its own Holy Cola, and several burgers are built around Swiss cheeses and dishes, from Vacherin Fribourgeois to rösti. In 2023 it joined the Better Burger Society, a partnership of gourmet burger chains from different European countries.

Restaurants across Switzerland, including one at Zurich Airport.

• Burgermeister (Germany, since 2006). The Berlin burger chain that started in an old public toilet under the U-Bahn. Also built on beef, bacon, barbecue sauce and crispy onions.
• Byron (United Kingdom, since 2007). The London chain that led Britain’s gourmet burger boom, then shrank back to a handful of restaurants. Also built on beef, bacon, barbecue sauce and crispy onions.
• Hundred Burgers (Spain, since 2020). The Spanish burger bar voted best in the world three years running, from two friends who ate their way around the planet. Also built on beef, bacon, barbecue sauce and cooked onions.
• Sunset Boulevard (Denmark, since 1996). Denmark’s biggest home-grown fast-food chain: a sandwich shop from Odense that became a burger chain with a béarnaise habit. Also built on beef, bacon, crispy onions and cooked onions.