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Hungry Jack's is an Australian fast-food franchise of the Burger King Corporation, with over 400 locations across Australia. The first Hungry Jack's restaurant was opened by Jack Cowin in Innaloo, Perth, in 1971. The brand name Hungry Jack's was selected by Cowin from Pillsbury's U.S. pancake mixture products, with a slight change by adding an apostrophe and s to form the new name. Despite being a Burger King franchise, Hungry Jack's is considered Australian-owned, with its parent company being Competitive Foods Australia.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the parent company | Competitive Foods Australia |
| Owner of the parent company | Jack Cowin |
| Number of stores in Australia | Over 400 |
| Year the first store opened | 1971 |
| Location of the first store | Innaloo, Perth |
| Reason for the name Hungry Jack's | The name "Burger King" was already trademarked in Australia |
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What You'll Learn
- Hungry Jack's Pty Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Competitive Foods Australia
- Burger King Corporation is the parent company of Hungry Jack's
- The first Hungry Jack's opened in 1971 in Perth
- The name 'Hungry Jack's' was inspired by Pillsbury's US pancake mix product
- Hungry Jack's has over 400 locations across Australia
Hungry Jack's Pty Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Competitive Foods Australia
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, a company owned by Jack Cowin. Competitive Foods Australia is the exclusive master franchisee of Burger King in Australia.
Hungry Jack's was established in 1971 when Burger King attempted to enter the Australian market. However, the Burger King name was already trademarked by a takeaway food shop in Adelaide, South Australia. As a result, the first Australian franchise of Burger King was established under the name Hungry Jack's in Innaloo, Perth, on 18 April 1971. The name "Hungry Jack" was chosen as it was one of Pillsbury's US pancake mix products, and Jack was the first name of the franchisee, John James "Jack" Cowin.
By the end of its first decade of operation in the 1970s, Hungry Jack's had expanded to 26 stores in three states. In 1986, the chain entered Victoria by purchasing 11 stores from Wendy's Hamburgers and converting them to Hungry Jack's. In 1991, Hungry Jack's Pty Ltd renewed its franchise agreement with Burger King, allowing it to license third-party franchisees. However, in 1996, Burger King claimed that Hungry Jack's had violated the terms of the agreement by failing to expand at the required rate and sought to terminate the contract. This led to a legal battle, with Hungry Jack's suing Burger King for breach of contract and winning A$46.9 million (US$41.6 million) in damages.
Despite the legal issues, Hungry Jack's continued to grow and now has over 400 locations across Australia, making it the second-largest franchise of Burger King in the world. The company remains committed to its corporate promise of delivering better burgers through quality product innovations and ongoing training and development for its team.
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Burger King Corporation is the parent company of Hungry Jack's
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, a privately-held company owned by Jack Cowin. The first Australian franchise of Burger King Corporation was established in Innaloo, Perth, on 18 April 1971, under Cowin's new company Hungry Jack's Pty Ltd.
Hungry Jack's owns and operates or sub-licenses all of the Burger King/Hungry Jack's restaurants in Australia. As the master franchise for Australia, the company is responsible for licensing new operators, opening its own stores, and performing standards oversight of franchised locations in Australia. With over 400 locations across Australia, Hungry Jack's is the second-largest franchise of Burger King in the world.
When Burger King expanded into Australia, it found that its business name was already trademarked by a takeaway food shop in Adelaide, South Australia. As a result, Burger King Corporation was unable to use the name in Australia. In 1971, the rights to Burger King in Australia were purchased by John James "Jack" Cowin. Cowin selected the "'Hungry Jack' brand name, one of Pillsbury's U.S. pancake mixture products, and slightly changed the name to a possessive form by adding an apostrophe and "s" to form the new name "Hungry Jack's".
In 1996, shortly after the Australian trademark on the Burger King name lapsed, Burger King Corporation claimed that Hungry Jack's had violated the conditions of the renewed franchise agreement by failing to expand the chain at the defined rate in the contract. Burger King then sought to terminate the agreement and began opening its own stores in direct competition with Hungry Jack's. As a result, Hungry Jack's owner Jack Cowin and his company Competitive Foods Australia began legal proceedings in 2001 against the Burger King Corporation, claiming that they had violated the conditions of the master franchising agreement and were in breach of the contract. The Supreme Court of New South Wales agreed with Cowin and determined that Burger King had violated the terms of the contract.
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The first Hungry Jack's opened in 1971 in Perth
Hungry Jack's is an Australian fast-food franchise of the Burger King Corporation. It is wholly owned by Competitive Foods Australia, which is the exclusive master franchisee of Burger King in Australia. The first Hungry Jack's restaurant was opened in 1971 in Perth, specifically in the suburb of Innaloo. This was the result of an attempt by Burger King to enter the Australian market, only to find that its business name was already trademarked by a takeaway food shop in Adelaide, South Australia. The local Burger King franchisee, who was Canadian, chose to go with the name Hungry Jack's instead. The name "Hungry Jack" was selected by Jack Cowin, the first Australian franchisee, from a list of Pillsbury's other trademarks (Pillsbury was the parent company of Burger King at the time). "Hungry Jack" was one of Pillsbury's U.S. pancake mixture products, and Cowin added an apostrophe and an "s" to form the new name "Hungry Jack's".
By the end of its first decade of operation in the 1970s, Hungry Jack's had expanded to 26 stores in three states. In 1981, the company opened its first store in New South Wales, in the Sydney central business district. In 1986, the chain entered Victoria by purchasing and converting 11 stores from the ailing Wendy's Hamburgers chain. In 1991, Hungry Jack's Pty Ltd renewed its franchise agreement with Burger King, allowing Hungry Jack's to license third-party franchisees. Despite having the right to rename the Australian chain Burger King, Hungry Jack's decided to keep the Hungry Jack's name as it had built brand value over the previous 40 years.
Today, Hungry Jack's owns and operates or sub-licenses all of the Burger King/Hungry Jack's restaurants in Australia, with over 400 locations across the country. It is the second-largest franchise of Burger King in the world, after Carrols Corporation. Hungry Jack's is committed to delivering quality product innovations and ongoing training and development to support its team. The company has also demonstrated a commitment to the wellbeing of its employees by launching Psychological Safety workshops across Australia.
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The name 'Hungry Jack's' was inspired by Pillsbury's US pancake mix product
Hungry Jack's is an Australian fast-food franchise of the Burger King Corporation. It is owned by Competitive Foods Australia, a company owned by Jack Cowin. The first Hungry Jack's restaurant was opened by Cowin in Innaloo, Perth, on 18 April 1971.
When Burger King attempted to enter the Australian market in 1971, it discovered that its business name was already trademarked by a takeaway food shop in Adelaide, South Australia. The local Burger King franchisee was Canadian Don Dervan, who had opened his store in 1962. As a result, the international company could not use its name in Australia.
Pillsbury, the parent company of Burger King at the time, showed Cowin, the first Australian franchisee, a list of their other trademarks to see if they owned anything else that might be appropriate. Cowin, who called himself Jack, selected the brand name "Hungry Jack", one of Pillsbury's US pancake mixture products. He then added an apostrophe and an "s" to form the new name "Hungry Jack's". In the US, the original Hungry Jack product range still exists and continues to make various baking mixes and syrups.
Over the years, Hungry Jack's tried to purchase the trademark from the local Burger King, but failed. As Hungry Jack's became the largest Burger King franchisee outside of the US, the relationship between the two companies became strained. In 1996, shortly after the Australian trademark on the Burger King name lapsed, Burger King Corporation made a claim that Hungry Jack's had violated the conditions of the renewed franchise agreement by failing to expand the chain at the rate defined in the contract and sought to terminate the agreement. As a result, Hungry Jack's owner Jack Cowin and his company Competitive Foods Australia began legal proceedings in 2001 against the Burger King Corporation, claiming that they had violated the conditions of the master franchising agreement and were in breach of the contract. The Supreme Court of New South Wales agreed with Cowin and determined that Burger King had violated the terms of the contract.
Despite having the right to name the entire Australian chain Burger King, Hungry Jack's decided to keep the Hungry Jack's name. The name was local, firmly established, and purely Australian. To switch after all that time would have been bad business.
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Hungry Jack's has over 400 locations across Australia
Hungry Jack's is an Australian fast-food franchise of the Burger King Corporation. It is owned by Competitive Foods Australia, a company owned by Jack Cowin. The first Hungry Jack's restaurant was opened in Innaloo, Perth in 1971. The name "Hungry Jack's" was chosen because it was one of Pillsbury's US pancake mix products, and Jack Cowin, the founder of Hungry Jack's, liked the name.
Hungry Jack's has expanded significantly since its first store opened in 1971. By the end of its first decade of operations in the 1970s, Hungry Jack's had expanded to 26 stores in three states. In 1981, the company opened its first store in New South Wales in the Sydney central business district. In 1986, the chain expanded into Victoria by purchasing and converting 11 stores from the Wendy's Hamburgers chain. As of 2025, Hungry Jack's has over 400 locations across Australia, making it the second-largest franchise of Burger King in the world.
Hungry Jack's Pty Ltd is the master franchise for Australia and is responsible for licensing new operators, opening its own stores, and performing standards oversight of franchised locations in the country. The company has continued to grow and maintain its future potential in the market. Hungry Jack's commitment to innovation and ongoing training and development has contributed to its success and expansion across Australia.
The success of Hungry Jack's in Australia can be attributed to various factors, including its strong brand presence and effective marketing strategies. Despite being affiliated with Burger King, Hungry Jack's has successfully established itself as a distinct and well-recognised brand in the Australian market. The company has also faced challenges, including legal disputes with Burger King Corporation over franchise agreements and expansion rates. However, Hungry Jack's has prevailed and solidified its position as the master franchisee of Burger King in Australia.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Hungry Jack's Pty Ltd is wholly owned by Competitive Foods Australia, which is the exclusive master franchisee of the Burger King Corporation.
When Burger King tried to expand into Australia in 1971, it found that the name "Burger King" was already trademarked by a takeaway food shop in Adelaide, South Australia. The local Burger King franchisee, who was Canadian, chose to go with the name Hungry Jack's instead.
Hungry Jack's had been trying for 40 years to get the Burger King name, but in the process, it built brand value in the Hungry Jack's name. The name was local, firmly established, and purely Australian. Changing the name after all that time would have been bad for business.
