Hesburger

Heikki Salmela opened the first location in Turku back in 1980, naming the chain after his own nickname "Hese." What started as a single outlet grew into the biggest burger operator in Northern Europe, beating out McDonald's for market share in Finland, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania by 2008. The brand remains deeply woven into local culture, with Finns affectionately calling it just "Hese" and Estonians referring to it as "Hess."

The menu focuses on straightforward favorites like hamburgers, fried potatoes, salads, and desserts. Hesburger expanded its offerings beyond standard fast food by launching Hesecafes for pastries and specialty coffee, adding HeseKebab outlets, and even installing car washes at select locations to serve as multi-service hubs for families.

Kari Salmela, Heikki's son, now serves as CEO and steers the company toward aggressive growth in Eastern Europe. As of early 2026, the brand continues to open new spots rapidly in Romania, having reached its 15th location there in January after hitting 13 units late in 2025. Recent years have also seen a push for sustainability, including a 2021 partnership with Neste to turn used cooking oil from over 300 restaurants into renewable diesel. [edit]