Burger King's Australian franchise operates under what different name?

Burger King’s Australian franchise operates under the name Hungry Jack’s.

The Australian business uses a different name because “Burger King” was already trademarked in Australia when the company expanded there. Jack Cowin obtained Australian franchise rights around 1970 and selected “Hungry Jack,” a Pillsbury pancake-mix brand, from a list of available names. The possessive form “Hungry Jack’s” became the restaurant name.

The first Hungry Jack’s restaurant opened in Innaloo, Perth, on April 18, 1971. It remains Burger King’s Australian franchise operation, selling familiar products such as the Whopper while using local branding, menus, and management arrangements.

The name difference became part of a major legal dispute. Burger King later opened restaurants under its own name after the Australian trademark situation changed, but Hungry Jack’s challenged attempts to terminate its franchise agreement. In 2001, the Supreme Court of New South Wales ruled in Hungry Jack’s favor and awarded damages. The brand consequently remains the recognizable Burger King equivalent across Australia.