Burger King is called Hungry Jack's in Australia because the name "Burger King" was already trademarked by a small food shop when the chain expanded there in the 1970s. The Australian franchisee, Jack Cowin, chose "Hungry Jack's" from a list of alternative names, inspired by Pillsbury's "Hungry Jack" pancake mix (which Pillsbury owned, just like Burger King) and his own first name, "Jack". A later legal battle solidified Hungry Jack's right to the name for all of Australia, even after they could have switched to Burger King.
Hungry Jack's Pty Ltd. is an Australian fast food franchise of the Burger King Corporation. It is a wholly owned subsidiary of Competitive Foods Australia (with licensing from Restaurant Brands International), a privately held company owned by Jack Cowin.
Jack Cowin's company had an exclusive franchise deal with the US Burger King company. In the late 90s, in the lead up to the 2000 Olympics Burger King tried to expand into Australia. This went against the contract.
When Jack Cowin, an Australian businessman, went to open the chain's first franchise Down Under in 1971, there was already a local restaurant there called Burger King that had the name trademarked. To avoid any confusion, he went with the name Hungry Jack's, most likely inspired by his own namesake.
Burger King gave up on competing with Cowin and switched the names of all Burger King restaurants in Australia over to Hungry Jack's, based on the fact that it had been an established name in the country for decades, compared to "newcomer" Burger King.
Hungry Jack's then sued Burger King, alleging that Burger King had no right to terminate the agreement, and also challenging the validity of the new extension agreements.
No, you won't find restaurants named "Burger King" in Australia; instead, the entire chain operates under the name Hungry Jack's, which serves the exact same food, like the Whopper, because a local business already held the Burger King trademark when the franchise first opened in the 1970s.
Hungry Jack's is a proudly Aussie owned company with over 50 years of history.
While McDonald's often leads in customer numbers and revenue, Subway is generally considered the #1 fast-food chain in Australia by number of locations, with over 1,200 outlets, making it the largest network in the country, followed by McDonald's and KFC.
Hungry Jack's is Australia's version of Burger King, serving the same flame-grilled burgers and fast-food fare, but under a different name because the Burger King trademark was already taken in Australia when the franchise launched in 1971. The franchise was established by Jack Cowin, who chose the name "Hungry Jack's" from a list of available options, and it operates as the sole Burger King franchisee in the country, with over 460 locations.
The answer lies in a combination of misreading the market, underestimating local preferences, and failing to adapt to Australia's unique coffee culture. In this blog, we explore the reasons behind Starbucks' failure in Australia and what it says about the Australian coffee landscape.
In an effort to protect tropical rain forests, the Rainforest Action Network, a U.S. environmental group, organized a boycott of Burger King restaurants to bring pressure to end imports of tropical beef.
Yes, Wendy's is now in Australia, with its first store opening in Surfers Paradise, Queensland, in early 2025, as part of a major plan by the Wendy's Australia website to open 200 locations by 2034, offering its classic square burgers and using locally sourced ingredients.
Yes, Hungry Jack's is the Australian franchise of Burger King, operating under a different name due to trademark issues when it first launched in 1971, and it remains the sole Burger King operator in Australia, with a similar but locally adapted menu. While it's a subsidiary and part of the global Burger King system, Hungry Jack's is owned and run in Australia by Jack Cowin's company, Competitive Foods Australia, following legal battles that solidified its independent operation.
Jack Cowin. Jack Cowin (/ˈkaʊɪn/, born 13 July 1942) is a Canadian-Australian businessman and entrepreneur with a long-term involvement in franchised fast food chains in Australia and Canada.
Great burgers need great ingredients. At Hungry Jack's that's 100% Aussie beef, flame-grilled to perfection. Plus big fresh salads, chunky hot chips and sensational sauces.
The most unhealthy fast food in Australia, based on energy and sodium content, is often cited as Red Rooster's Bacon & Cheese Rippa meal combo (Rippa roll, large fries, large Coke) due to its extremely high kilojoules (7730kJ) and sodium (4571mg), exceeding daily recommendations, while Hungry Jack's Double Smoky BBQ Angus burger is a top offender in the burger category for its energy density. These meals pack significant energy (kilojoules), fat, and salt, contributing heavily to daily intake, with Red Rooster and Hungry Jack's often topping reports for poor nutritional profiles.
The cheapest franchises in Australia often fall under $10,000, with options like Milagro CBD Oil ($1,700), iOB Business (digital agency, $7,000), Young Engineers ($6,000), and Speaking Roses ($9,000) representing very low entry points, while other popular low-cost models include Fantastic Services ($3,750) for home services and mobile options like Fox Mowing ($16,000) or car detailing, providing diverse service sectors for minimal investment.
The healthiest fast food options focus on grilled protein, lots of vegetables, and whole grains, found in places like Chipotle (veggie/bean bowls), Subway (Turkey Breast & Ham), Chick-fil-A (grilled nuggets/sandwich), Wendy's (grilled chicken wrap/chili/baked potato), and Taco Bell (Fresco-style tacos/burritos), emphasizing customization to swap sauces, cheese, and fried items for healthier alternatives like salsa, avocado, and salads.
Hungry Jack's sued Burger King in Australia because Burger King tried to break their franchise agreement in the late 1990s, allegedly to take over the Australian market by opening their own competing stores, which Hungry Jack's argued was a breach of contract and bad faith, leading to Hungry Jack's winning substantial damages and ultimately securing sole rights to the brand in Australia. Burger King's actions, including trying to terminate the agreement and blocking new Hungry Jack's locations, were seen as deliberate attempts to undermine its franchisee, resulting in a major court victory for Hungry Jack's.
Yes, there are calls for a KFC boycott in Australia, primarily driven by pro-Palestinian activists due to perceived support for Israel, though KFC Australia's franchises are locally operated by Collins Foods and not directly owned by Yum! Brands. While KFC isn't on official BDS (Boycott, Divestment, Sanctions) movement lists, social media campaigns highlight its inclusion in broader boycotts, leading some customers to question its involvement and local ownership.
QV Skincare
Founded in 1952 by a chemist and his nurse wife in response to a request from the dermatology ward at Melbourne's Queen Victoria Hospital, it carries a range of cleansers for the face, body and hair, including for babies. QV Skincare doesn't appear to have any ties to Israel.
Founded in 1921 in Wichita, Kansas, White Castle is considered the first fast-food hamburger chain in the United States. It predated McDonald's, Burger King, and others by decades.
Australians call McDonald's "Macca's," a common slang abbreviation that the company has embraced and even used in advertising and on some store signs, reflecting the Australian habit of shortening names, like calling people "Bazza" for Barry.
To answer a common question: McDonald's (1940) is older than Burger King (1954) by 14 years, though both were preceded by White Castle (1921) and A&W (1919). The hierarchy of these chains by age runs: A&W (oldest), White Castle, McDonald's, Burger King, and then Wendy's (youngest at 1969).