Our People

Meet the people that make up the wonderful world of BurgerFuel.
Their dreams are made alongside gourmet burgers, their passion is celebrated and individuality encouraged.

THE FRANCHISEE A.K.A THE ULTIMATE BURGERFUEL FAN

Nothing sets BurgerFuel® apart from the rest more than our people do. Sure, we believe our burgers are better than everyone else’s, but we think it’s our people who really set us apart. Our franchisees are perhaps our biggest fans - they all loved BurgerFuel® so much that they bought their own franchises. They each add their own personality, passion and energy to the BurgerFuel organisation.

MEET THE NZ TEAM

WITH 57 STORES ACROSS NEW ZEALAND, WE HAVE AN EPIC GROUP OF BURGERFUEL FRANCHISEES WHO WORK TOGETHER TO KEEP THIS GOURMET BURGER COMPANY CRANKING.

SCROLL ACROSS TO LEARN ABOUT WHO OWNS YOUR LOCAL STORE.

NAME: MATT
BURGERFUEL STORES: MT EDEN & BOTANY

Originally from West Auckland, Matt was raised in Christchurch, but moved back to his roots in ’97. His strong work ethic and enterprising nature saw him progress quickly in his career in hospitality, from Area Manager at 23, to owning his own franchise, at the ripe old age of 25. 20 years on Matt is one of our OG franchisees.

NAME: JAMES
BURGERFUEL STORES: ALBANY, WESTGATE, SILVERDALE, WHANGAPARAOA & WINDSOR PARK

Auckland BurgerFuel franchisee, James, is a long time North Shore local, currently residing on the sunny Hibiscus Coast with wife Tracey and a brood of 5 teens. Being one of the very first franchisees in the system, he has first-hand experience with the growing pains of a start-up brand with lofty ambitions and all the challenges that come along with it.

NAME: CAM
BURGERFUEL STORES: FIVE CROSS ROADS, FRANKTON, ROTOTUNA, TAUPO

Cam and Kat have their hands full. With four children under 11 and four stores to run, stretching from Taupo to the Tron, they are no strangers to hard work and perseverance. Opening their first store in 2008, 12 years on, Cam is still entrenched in the daily operations of BurgerFuel’s Frankton, Rototuna and Five Cross Roads stores.

NAME: RHYS
BURGERFUEL STORES: MOUNT MAUNGANUI, TAURANGA, PAPAMOA & BETHLEHEM

Whether you’re a local or just passing through Tauranga, you’re on holiday. Surrounded by pristine beaches, the residents are notoriously friendly with a laid back attitude that is infectious to visitors. The same can be said for Rhys, our easy going BurgerFuel franchisee with a love of surfing and whose welcoming smile seems a permanent fixture on his face.

NAME: ANDY
BURGERFUEL STORES: NAPIER & HAWKES BAY

Andy has been part of the BurgerFuel fam for 13 long years, opening the Napier store in 2007, and Hastings store in 2014. He resonated with the brands' easy going, fun side and felt it aligned with his own personal ethos and values. He also appreciates the flexibility and nimbleness that a local brand can have over that of a global giant.

NAME: RYAN
BURGERFUEL STORE: PALMERSTON NORTH

Ryan, originally from Wellington, opened the first and only store in the Manawatu in 2006 and maintains his passion for the brand hasn’t waned, “I love being part of a badass NZ brand that is always looking to standout”, he says, “I believe that work is a large portion of your life, so you better enjoy what you do. I love what I do and jump out of bed everyday, looking forward to the day ahead”.

NAME: EDDIE
BURGERFUEL STORE: NEW PLYMOUTH

Meet Eddie Darney, a local Naki lad, he had a long 11-year history with the brand before becoming a proud owner and operator of BurgerFuel New Plymouth. At sixteen Eddie started working for the local store, which was run by family friend and local legend, the late Brooke Wolfe. After settling back into life and teaching at the local school, the purple neon lights (and a persuasive Wolfe) lured him back to work for BurgerFuel. Darney then found himself working double jobs – teacher by day and burger flipper by night.

NAME: ASH
BURGERFUEL STORE: ROTORUA FAIRY SPRINGS

Nothing could be more true when it comes to the youngest member of the BurgerFuel franchisee family. Raised in Springfield, Rotorua, Ash is the owner of BurgerFuel Fairy Springs and she knows a thing or two about hard work. Ash started her first shift at BurgerFuel Fairy Springs as a part time crew member at 15, then trailblazed her way up the ranks, now owning and operating BurgerFuel Fairy Springs.

NAME: RODDY
BURGERFUEL STORE: ROTORUA REDWOOD CENTRE

Franchisee Roddy, Eastern Bay of Plenty born and bred, is a down to earth fella, with a heart of gold. His humble nature means he is super uncomfortable with the spotlight being on him. He took over the store in April 2019 from Francie, who shared her knowledge and bestowed a staunch passion for customer service and values that Roddy continues to model and instill today in his tight-knit crew.

NAME: ASH & ROSHNEE
BURGERFUEL STORE: QUEEN STREET

Ash and Roshnee’s interest in the brand all started in Tauranga where BurgerFuel became a part of their social ritual and go-to place to catch up with mates. They loved the vibe, street art in store and Ash was particularly drawn to the brands alignment with muscle cars. The product brought them back time and time again and it was this, combined with the experience and memories they shared in the store that had them exploring options to own their own. Their journey then took them to Auckland, where they fell in love with the City of Sales and achieved their dream of running their own BurgerFuel store.

NAME: CHRIS & RACHEL
BURGERFUEL STORE: CUSTOMS STREET

Chris has had a long history with BurgerFuel, with his career in burgers starting a decade ago, grilling and serving burgers as a store staff member. Gaining his experience at different stores in the Auckland CBD and Parnell, the opportunity arose and he and his wife, Rachel, decided it was time to try their hands at running the beast of a ship that is BurgerFuel Customs Street.

NAME: MALTE & STEPHAN
BURGERFUEL STORES: BUSH INN, SPITFIRE SQUARE & FERRYMEAD

They've been indoctrinated into the Kiwi lifestyle and Malte and Stephan now call New Zealand home. They are two incredibly down to earth and welcoming franchisees, who will invite you into their stores as if it were their own living room. They take immense pride in each store and follow operational guidelines to the letter.

NAME: PAUL
BURGERFUEL STORES: LOWER HUTT & CUBA STREET

Paul opened his first store, BurgerFuel Lower Hutt in 2006. He had years of experience behind him in the quick service restaurant industry and after trying his first BurgerFuel burger at the Ponsonby store, he immediately decided that he would love to own his own and set about making it happen.

NAME: BARRY
BURGERFUEL STORES: JOHNSONVILLE, PORIRUA & UPPER HUTT

Barry, originally from Central Otago, is an Upper Hutt local who loves the urban provincial lifestyle that it offers. When asked what he loves about Wellington, his wry response is “It’s not Auckland”, which sums Barry up nicely. A hard case, with a heart of gold. Barry became a franchisee in 2008, opening his first store, BurgerFuel Johnsonville.

NAME: MATT
BURGERFUEL STORES: COURTENEY PLACE, PORIRUA & ADELAIDE ROAD

Matt first started out in hospitality in 1986 in Napier and 7 years later found himself running two of the busiest fast food restaurants in London, before returning to NZ in ‘96 to continue along a similar vein of work. In 2006 he opened his BurgerFuel store and hasn’t looked back since. Matt has made a name for himself nationally in the drag racing scene and is at the top of his game. One of his favourite things to do is participate in charity Hotrod runs and he has a selection of cars to choose from.

NAME: MARK & HARVEY
BURGERFUEL STORES: PT CHEV & PARNELL

It’s full on celebration mode for this franchisee duo, two high school mates who took over BurgerFuel Parnell in November 2018. Mark used to work on the Operations team for BurgerFuel HQ, so his operational knowledge is next level. While Harveys background in teaching means that connecting with staff and interacting with customers is second nature to him. These guys run a tight ship, are 100% hands on and work in both stores around the clock.

NAME: PJ
BURGERFUEL STORES: KAPITI COAST, TIMARU, TE AWAMUTU, THE BASE, PAKURANGA, INVERCARGILL AND GLENFIELD

PJ is a busy man, working as 'Head of BurgerFuel' for Number 8 Retail Group, he single-handedly manages several stores spanning from Auckland to the very bottom of the country. PJ acts as a franchisee for BurgerFuel Kapiti Coast, Timaru, Te Awamutu, The Base (Hamilton), Glenfield, Pakuranga and Invercargill, which sees him donning many hats and always with a calm and controlled demeanor.

NAME: KEVIN
BURGERFUEL STORES: MANUKAU

BurgerFuel Manukau is headed up by Kevin, our half Greek/half Persian/Kiwi through and through franchisee. Always up for a good yarn and with a sense of humour like no other. Kevin moved to New Zealand in ’89, before the stock market crash, after working in France. With an engineering background, extensive experience in retail and a double major in I.T and business, Kevin has always had both the smarts and the work ethic, evident by the the success of his store and his tenure of 16 years as a BurgerFuel franchisee.

NAME: FILIGA
BURGERFUEL STORES: Cuba Street

Filiga, (also known as Fili), is one of BurgerFuel's newest Franchisees, and has been fueling our Cuba Street store since April 2021, while doing it seamlessly, albeit in the midst of a pandemic. Fili’s love for the fresh ingredients, the culture and vibe of the store is second to none. Her passion and drive also comes from her love of her customers and the local community. With an extensive background in the hospitality industry, we're lucky to have Fili join the BurgerFuel family!

BURGERFUEL PEOPLE

At the heart, soul and coal face of BurgerFuel are our people. Unique, passionate individuals who live, breathe and inspire the full throttle BurgerFuel lifestyle for every one of the 8x6,400 seconds in every day. Scroll on down to find out more about the human building blocks that keep the BurgerFuel engine purring like a well fed kitten.

MEET THE PEOPLE WE LOVE

We’re all for supporting legends that live by the full throttle mantra. Some are legit legends and aces at what they do, some are wanna-be legends and just need a leg up, and others are legends in their own lunchbox – have stuck at it, (regardless of how good, or not, they are at it). Meet some of the people we like to call, BurgerFuel type of people, from Athletes to HQ, Artists to Race Car drivers, these are the people we will back all the way.

NAME: MILLS
BURGERFUEL GIG: MASTERMIND BEHIND THE BURGERS

For 24 years, Chris, our mad burger scientist (or BurgerFuel Menu Development Manager) has been passionately dedicated to developing BurgerFuel’s menu, both globally and locally, to ensure it provides great tasting options for all lifestyle choices. More than a passionate foodie, Chris is an esteemed Chef. Auckland born, Chris spent his formative years in Wellington, and now resides in Auckland as our Food & Menu Development Manager.

NAME: JOSH
BURGERFUEL GIG: BURGERFUEL ATHLETIC DEPARTMENT FOUNDER & TRAINER

Josh “Pretty Boy” Randall is BurgerFuel Athletic Department’s fitness trainer and head coach. He’s spent years bringing HQ and store staff nothing but a lot of sweat (and a few tears) down in the basement B.A.D gym.

NAME: VIKA
BURGERFUEL GIG: SPEED & CUSTOM / HQ LEGEND

Whether we’re talking about our in-store rosters or how we work at HQ, here at BurgerFuel our mantra is always the same; we put “aces in their places”. So, when you’re like Vika with a variety of skill sets, interests and passions, it makes sense that she has several fingers in several BurgerFuel burger pies. Vika isn’t just a key figure within our HQ walls, she’s also an integral part of our promotions and events team and is a legend in our Speed & Custom space.

NAME: KAT
BURGERFUEL GIG: BURGERFUEL AMBASSADOR AND RACE CAR DRIVER

From Leadfoot to the World Time Attack, Kat Benson is one talented driver. A passionate BurgerFuel fan, you can always count on finding her either on the track in her BurgerFuel Evo or in one of our stores enjoying the new limited edition special burger. She is always pushing the limits, find out what she's been up to below.

NAME: HASER
BURGERFUEL GIG: CREATIVE, SWEET EXTRAORDINNAIRE

We have a full arts programme called BurgerFuel Creative, Sweet. Like Radio BurgerFuel is to music, Creative, Sweet is our BurgerFuel channel for all the artistic awesomeness we're into. Be it graffiti, illustration, graphic design, videography or tattooing, we're all about it, and we like supporting other people who are too. Creative, Sweet is headed up by our resident artist extraordinaire, Kairau "Haser" Bradley, who, when he's not working as part of our super talented Graphic Design team at BurgerFuel HQ, travels around the world doing amazing pieces for both BurgerFuel and his own graffiti crew, TMD.

NAME: HAIMONA
BURGERFUEL GIG: BMX RIDER & CONTENT CREATOR

Friend of the Fuel since waaay back and professional BMX rider, Haimona has designed his own sick range of riding gear with our resident artist Haser. After a successful career both in front of the TV and behind it, he’s now a freelance video content producer and our go-to for any rad full throttle action videography.

NAME: PIHA BOATIES
BURGERFUEL GIG: CRAZY WAVE LOVING ROWERS

We’ve been fuelling the Piha Boatie crew for many years now, seeing them achieve World Champion status and take out title after title. Watching these guys and girls manoeuvre these beast boats in the big waves is really something. See it for yourself at this summers, BurgerFuel Piha Day of Giants – Feb 13, 2021.

“IT’S NOT ENOUGH TO CREATE THE BEST BURGER IN THE WORLD, WE BELIEVE IN CREATING THE BEST COMPANY AND WANT OUR PEOPLE TO COME TOGETHER TO BUILD ON AN AMAZING BUSINESS AND HAVE FUN AT THE SAME TIME”