Why Burger King Is Called Hungry Jack's In Australia

As one of the biggest fast food chains in the world, Burger King is pretty hard to miss. But despite its global reach, one surprising country where you won't find a single restaurant bearing its name is Australia. That's not because the chain never tried to make it Down Under, though. Instead, its restaurants go by Hungry Jack's, and the reason why is a story in itself.

The saga started all the way back in the 1970s. Franchisee Jack Cowin had secured the rights to bring Burger King to Australia, only to discover that the name was already trademarked by an unrelated local business. So, Cowin was given a list of trademarks that Pillsbury (Burger King's parent company at the time) did own, one of which was "Hungry Jack." With a slight tweak, the first Hungry Jack's opened its doors in 1971.

But things took a turn in the 1990s. Burger King sought greater control over its Australian operations and explored buying out Cowin, who had little interest in selling. Things turned sour when Burger King began deliberately withholding approvals for new franchisees and other developments, despite Hungry Jack's being contractually required to open new restaurants. Citing Hungry Jack's failure to meet its obligations, Burger King attempted to terminate its contract with Cowin in 1996. Cowin didn't go down easily and took the fight to court. In 2001, the New South Wales Court of Appeal ruled in Hungry Jack's favor, finding that Burger King had breached its contractual duty to act in good faith. The ruling allowed Hungry Jack's to continue growing under its own name, and in 2003, all remaining Australian Burger King restaurants were converted into Hungry Jack's.

Not many businesses manage to take on a corporate heavyweight like Burger King and come out on top. But Hungry Jack's did just that. The legal battle resulted in a substantial damages award in Jack Cowin's company's favor, ultimately adjusted to around A$65 million (roughly $33.6 million at the time). And that was only the beginning of the success story. Hungry Jack's has since grown into an Australian household name, with over 480 restaurants employing more than 19,000 people.

Despite their rocky history, Hungry Jack's and Burger King have remarkably similar menus. Down Under, you'll find familiar favorites like the iconic Whopper. Just like Burger King's version, it's also flame-grilled (well, technically flame-broiled) rather than cooked on a flat-top griddle. Other familiar items include chicken nuggets and battered onion rings. Yet despite the similar menu items, some who have tried both swear they taste different.

But not everything is the same. One of the most noticeable differences is portion size. Many of Burger King's items, including drinks, the Whopper, and onion rings, come in larger servings than their Hungry Jack's counterparts. Nuggets, however, are a different story, with Hungry Jack's offering considerably larger portions. 

Both chains also offer exclusive menu items; at Hungry Jack's, one of its most envy-inducing offerings is the Grill Masters Angus range, featuring Australian Angus beef served on artisan buns with indulgent toppings. The chain has even brought back a discontinued Burger King sandwich — the Yumbo — that fans have been clamoring to see make a comeback.