In Australia, Burger King is called Hungry Jack's.
Why Burger King Goes by Hungry Jack's in Australia
Walk into any major city in the world and you'll likely spot the familiar Burger King logo. But step off a plane in Sydney or Melbourne, and you'll find yourself face-to-face with a curious doppelganger: Hungry Jack's.
Same flame-grilled Whoppers. Same menu. Completely different name. What gives?
A Trademark Tangle Down Under
When Burger King set its sights on Australia in 1971, the company hit an unexpected snag. A small takeaway shop in Adelaide had already registered the "Burger King" name. In the world of trademarks, first come, first served.
Rather than engage in a lengthy legal battle, Burger King's Australian franchisee, Jack Cowin, came up with a solution. He'd simply create a new name for the Australian market. Drawing inspiration from a Pillsbury pancake mix called "Hungry Jack" (Pillsbury owned Burger King at the time), the Hungry Jack's brand was born.
The Plot Thickens
The story didn't end there. In the 1990s, Burger King's parent company decided they wanted their original name back in Australia. The trademark on "Burger King" had lapsed, and they saw an opportunity.
What followed was a bitter legal dispute:
- Burger King opened competing stores under their original name
- Jack Cowin sued for breach of contract
- The case dragged through Australian courts for years
- In 2001, Hungry Jack's won a landmark $46.9 million settlement
The ruling confirmed that Hungry Jack's had exclusive rights to operate the Burger King franchise in Australia. Those few Burger King-branded stores that had opened? They were converted to Hungry Jack's.
Same Flame, Different Name
Today, Hungry Jack's operates over 440 locations across Australia, making it one of the country's largest fast-food chains. The menu mirrors Burger King's offerings almost exactly, from the Whopper to the chicken nuggets, though Hungry Jack's occasionally introduces Australia-exclusive items.
Jack Cowin, now in his 80s, remains chairman of the company he built. His net worth exceeds $2 billion, much of it built on those flame-grilled burgers that almost weren't his to sell.
A Uniquely Australian Icon
What started as a trademark inconvenience has become a point of national pride. Australians have grown up with Hungry Jack's, and the brand has woven itself into the cultural fabric in ways Burger King never could have.
The name even spawned the beloved slogan: "The burgers are better at Hungry Jack's." It's a claim Burger King can't make anywhere else in the world—because anywhere else, they're still just Burger King.
So next time you're traveling through Australia and craving a Whopper, don't panic when you can't find a Burger King. Just look for the grinning Hungry Jack's logo. You'll get the same burger with a side of trademark history.