Fun With Bun: Europe’s Juiciest Burger Markets

Beneath the grills of Europe's burger joints lies a story of opportunity. With Outlet Census Live you can now look even deeper under the lid of the European HoReCa landscape and see where the potential lies. For this article we’ve set our scopes on burger joints to determine which European country is the king of burgers.

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A note before we start: Apart from interesting reading, Outlet Census Live data can serve you as a practical tool to identify where demand for your products lies. Let’s say your products pair well with burgers. In that case, a market breakdown can help you allocate resources correctly. Example: in Bayern, Germany, there are a total of 48,854 outlets, of which only 14% offer burgers. However, in Hamburg this percentage rises to 30%. 

Apart from the fact that Hamburg is considered the cradle of the hamburger (though a lot of Americans would probably disagree), this contrast can help you decide where to direct your commercial activities. The Outlet Census Live currently allows you to filter through almost 40 types of food, including specialties such as Kosher, Schnitzel, Sushi, Tapas, Vegetarian or Fish & Chips.

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The Peculiarities of European HoReCa

To determine which countries favor burgers and which prefer other cuisines, we examined two factors: 

1. The number of outlets that offer burgers on their menu per 1000 inhabitants
2. The share of these burger outlets ( = outlet that offers burgers) on the total number of outlets = how many % of outlets in the country actually offer burgers

There are significant geographical differences in the popularity of burgers in Europe, which we will look at in the next section.

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Northern Europe: Burger & Chill

It seems that the further north you go, the more likely you are to land a burger on your plate at lunch. 

There are 5 countries in Europe where the percentage of burger outlets makes up more than 20% of the total market: Sweden (20.68%), Finland (23.52%), Denmark (24.64%), Estonia (24.03%) and Ireland (24.41%). 

Three of these are exclusively in Northern Europe, Estonia is considered by many to be "Little Finland" and Ireland is geographically further north than most of non-Northern Europe. 

Note: We are still filling in the data for Norway, so it is not included in this article, as are a handful of other countries.

Why burgers are so popular in frosty climes is anyone's guess. The Nordic countries generally have fewer outlets per population, and since burgers are a very versatile food that can be prepared in almost any way, its dominance may be due to the fact that the typical Nordic restaurant has to cover more of the demand and cannot afford to leave out something as universally popular as the burger. 

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Southern Europe: No Bun Under the Sun 

The opposite story is being told in southern Europe. 

No southern country has a market share above 15%: Spain (14.35%), Italy (6.19%), Greece (13.76%), Portugal (9.66%). The coastal countries of the Balkans by the Adriatic Sea, for example, are similarly affected by tourism: Croatia (14.77%) and Albania (3.84%). The only exception is the aforementioned Cyprus (16.48%).

In the case of these countries, hamburger outlets will always compete with both strong local cuisine (pasta, pizza, etc. in Italy, tapas and paella in Spain or pljeskavica-based buns in the Balkans) or with the seafood-oriented cuisine that these countries are often visited for (Croatia, Greece). 

These markets are also generally more developed, with many more outlets per population, and can thus afford to have restaurants specialising only in certain types of cuisine, which may not deal with burgers at all. 

After all, for many gourmets seeking refined Italian specialties, a burger on the menu might seem like barbarism. 

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East & West: Burgers Against the Iron Curtain

As for Western, Central and Eastern Europe, the results are surprisingly similar, oscillating around 10% in all countries. The lowest percentage of burger outlets is in the Czech Republic (9,38%), while the highest is in Austria (15,98%). This proves the universal appeal of burgers given the fact that central European countries differ a lot in terms of economic power.

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Here is the complete chart.

Additionally, we have analyzed # of burger joints per 1000 population and found no correlation to the main topic of this article. For example, Cyprus has the highest number of burger outlets per 1000 population (1,09), but only a 16.48% penetration. In contrast, Estonia has less than half the number per pop. (0,58) but a market penetration of 24.03%. The numbers are all over the place without a clear pattern or correlation either to the main topic or market development (Sweden and Finland 0,61; Denmark 0,71; Estonia 0,58; Ireland 0,84; Croatia 0,88; Spain 0,95 etc.) so we’re including this only as a sidenote.

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Conclusion: Let the Data Be Your Compass

So why bother with this data? Well, for starters, if you have a product that goes with burgers, you can use this information to steer your commercial efforts. Or at least to inform your decision making when it comes to allocating your commercial resources or possible branching out to other markets.

Outlet Census Live provides key insights into these patterns, helping you identify opportunities and adapt strategies to succeed in HoReCa markets as varied and unpredictable as Europe.

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