Burgermeister Lays Groundwork for Belgian Expansion

Buoyed by its domestic success in Germany and its recent entry into the Polish market, the Berlin-born burger chain founded two decades ago in a former public restroom is pushing ahead with its international expansion into Belgium. No official launch date has been set, but Burgermeister has already filed the corporate paperwork required for its Belgian debut.

© BURGERMEISTER

Why should the next great QSR growth story always come out of the United States? CEO Robert Fügert recently asked on LinkedIn. Burgermeister isn't an attempt to recreate an American burger chain in Berlin. We're building a Berlin-born quick-service brand with global ambitions, rooted in our own heritage, our own product philosophy, and our own culture.

Burgermeister is best known for its smash burgers, brioche buns, and unconventional origin story: the chain started in 2006 as a small food stand set up in a disused 20th-century public restroom beneath the Schlesisches Tor elevated railway in East Berlin. Today, instantly recognizable by its gothic-script logo, the company reported €100 million in revenue for fiscal year 2025 and operates 30 locations across Germany. It aims to double revenue this year, grow its headcount from 1,000 to 1,700 employees, and expand its footprint tenfold by 2028.

To fuel that growth, the chain launched its international rollout in Poland, opening its first location in the port city of Szczecin in October 2025. Over the coming years, Burgermeister plans to build a network of roughly 20 units across Poland through a local entity, Burgermeister Polska, which will run the master-franchise model.

The company's international ambitions rest on a vertically integrated supply chain anchored by its own manufacturing facility, which produces its patties, buns, cookies, and core ingredients. By the company's own estimates, that production capacity could support up to 100 locations worldwide.

Burgermeister is also eyeing several other high-growth markets, including Spain, the Czech Republic, Scandinavia, and the Middle East. Last June, Fügert signed a master franchise agreement with Vienna-based hospitality group Schwarz Hirsch to formalize the brand's entry into Austria, where three locations are planned for this year, the first expected to open this autumn.

In an increasingly crowded QSR landscape – marked by rising operating costs, labor shortages, and cautious consumer spending– Burgermeister is positioning itself as a distinct alternative to the major global chains, leaning on a streamlined menu, competitive pricing with entry-level items starting at €5, and late-night hours.

I've never believed in taking the easy road, Fügert said in another post. If we want to turn Burgermeister into a global QSR brand, we have to win in markets with high expectations – markets where people know food, understand hospitality, and can immediately tell whether a concept has real substance.

The strategic logic behind the Belgian move is starting to take shape. In a market long dominated by incumbents such as McDonald's, Burger King, and Quick, trade outlet Gondola Foodservice reports that Berlin-based Burgermeister International Holding GmbH has incorporated a local subsidiary, Burgermeister Belgium.

According to the filings, the new entity's scope covers restaurant operations, fast food, and delivery services, while its bylaws provide for the establishment, management, and commercialization of franchise networks, licenses, and business concepts. The subsidiary is also authorized to acquire equity stakes in other companies.

Control of the Belgian entity will remain firmly with Berlin headquarters: current CEO Robert Fügert and founder Cebrail Karabelli have both been named directors. In short, Burgermeister is putting the legal infrastructure in place for its Belgian launch – mirroring the playbook it used in Poland and Austria—ahead of selling brand rights to independent local operators.