PNY

PNY, short for Paris New York, was started by two friends who met as students: Graffi, who dreamed of building a business with a conscience, and Rudy, who had just crossed the Rocky Mountains on foot living on burgers. They bought an old kebab shop on what they call the coolest street in Paris and opened the first PNY in 2012; a second followed a year later, then many more. The company now employs around 150 people.

The meat is the obsession. PNY favours traditional beef breeds such as Black Angus, Angus and Salers, from grass-fed cattle raised outdoors on organic pasture, and ages the beef for at least three weeks before grinding. The patties are flame-grilled at 650 °F, and the fries are cut by hand from potatoes grown with sustainable farming.

A signature of the chain is that each restaurant has a burger of its own: a Juicy Lucy only in the Marais, a Maroilles cheese burger only in Lille, a “Petite France” with cream and bacon only in Strasbourg, and a Nantes burger with breaded local cheese. The core menu runs from a vintage cheeseburger to the Tribute and a vegan burger made with Redefine Meat.

Restaurants across Paris and in Nantes, Strasbourg, Lille and other French cities.

• 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 cheese.
• Honest Burgers (United Kingdom, since 2009). The London burger chain that comes with rosemary salted chips. Also built on beef, bacon and cheese.
• Holy Cow! (Switzerland, since 2009). The Lausanne gourmet burger chain built on Swiss beef and Swiss cheese. Also built on beef, bacon, barbecue sauce and cheese.
• 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 cheese.