Burger Machine

A typical Burger Machine stand near the NLEX.

Burger Machine Holdings Corporation, more commonly known as Burger Machine, is one of the notable fastfood companies in the Philippines. It is a sub-company of the Gilmore Food Corporation. Unlike Jollibee and other burger chains, Burger Machine has always been retailing in outdoor stands instead of shops.

History

It was created in 1981 by Fe Esperanza S. Rodriguez and a sister who both planned to turn two old small buses into mobile stores, an idea they adapted from America. It was their fondness for hamburgers that inspired them to make a business that would serve for the masses. The stores were then opened near two gas stations in Quezon City. They all began with a capital of P40,000 with nearly two dozen employees working continuously. This non-stop service earned Burger Machine the nickname of "the burger that never sleeps."

A year later, a third store was opened. The company was nationally recognized.^[1]

In 1990, the Corporate Office in EDSA started and was called EDSA Business Unit. It was also in this year when the Food and Nutrition Research Institute of the Department of Science and Technology confirmed their burgers as “source of the most nutrients in terms of peso value compared to other leading hamburger chains.”

Through the years, Burger Machine launched dozens of branches including stalls and full-scale fast food restaurants. But during the Asian Financial Crisis of the 90's, the company saw more struggles and was forced to close down several branches and restaurants. Burger Machine is now back to its roots operation which is 24/7 burger stands for the masses.

Other information

One distinctive character associated with the company is the dwarf which appears on every outlet. For a number of years it had been unnamed. Later in 1988, it was given one, Burger Bart through a name contest.^[1]

Graphic designer/visual communicator Zeus Paredes coined the name "BURGER MACHINE" and designed the original logo and graphics on the mobile stores.

The business was widely advertised on television in the mid-1990s. Among those who helped promote it include the Philippines' late master rapper Francis Magalona and iconic band Eraserheads.

Permit controversy

In 2007, it was revealed that a majority of Burger Machine's stores have been operating without business licenses. Because of this, the Market Development and Administration Department gave them 15 days to go with the demands lest Burger Machine as well as its parent Gilmore would undergo such consequences, specifically having those stores closed.^[2]

References