Hungry Jack's

When Jack Cowin bought the Australian franchise for Burger King in 1970, he hit a problem: a small Adelaide takeaway had already trademarked the name “Burger King” in Australia. Burger King offered him a list of other names it owned, and he picked Hungry Jack, a Pillsbury pancake mix, adding the apostrophe and an S. The first restaurant opened in Perth in 1971.

The relationship with the parent company has not always been friendly. When the local trademark lapsed in the 1990s, Burger King tried to push Hungry Jack’s aside and opened its own Australian stores. Cowin sued, won A$46.9 million in 2001, and Hungry Jack’s absorbed the Burger King outlets. The Whopper is on the menu, but the attitude is entirely its own.

Around 440 restaurants across Australia, most of them company-owned.

• Better Burger (New Zealand). A New Zealand fast-food chain built on fresh, never-frozen beef, local farmers and compostable packaging. Also built on beef, a special sauce, cheese and a double stack.
• Huxtaburger (Australia, since 2011). Melbourne’s cult smash-burger bar, born as the casual offshoot of a hatted Collingwood restaurant. Also built on beef, a special sauce and cheese.
• Burger Urge (Australia, since 2007). Brisbane’s gourmet burger chain, as famous for its provocative marketing as its burgers. Also built on beef and cheese.
• Ribs & Burgers (Australia, since 2011). An Australian grillhouse chain started by butchers: flame-grilled burgers, Wagyu doubles and racks of slow-cooked ribs. Also built on beef and cheese.