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Max Hamburgers

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
For the German lawyer, see Max Hamburger.

Max Burgers Aktiebolag
Company typePrivate
IndustryRestaurants
Founded1968; 57 years ago (1968) in Gällivare, Sweden
HeadquartersLuleå, Sweden
Key people
Richard Bergfors, Chairman/CEO
ProductsBurgers and other fast food
RevenueIncrease 4.1 billion SEK (2021)
Number of employees
7400 (2022)
Websitewww.maxburgers.com Edit this at Wikidata

Max, formally Max Burgers Aktiebolag, is a Swedish hamburger chain founded in 1968 in Gällivare.[1] As of 2024, the hamburger chain had 155 restaurants in Sweden,[2] 26 restaurants in Poland,[3] 8 in Norway[4] and 6 in Denmark.[5] The company had seven in Egypt operated through franchising.[6] From 2012 to 2018 Max also operated in the United Arab Emirates, also through franchising.[7] The company has approximately 6,500 employees and is owned and operated by the family of Curt Bergfors, its co-founder.[1]

History

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The chain was founded by Britta Fredriksson and Curt Bergfors (1949 - 2022)[8] in Gällivare, Sweden, in 1968. Bergfors' oldest son Richard Bergfors is the current president since 2002.

Until the 1980s, Max was the largest hamburger restaurant chain in northern Sweden, with only a single restaurant outside of Norrland (on Drottninggatan, Stockholm). This changed during the 1990s, when they expanded to become a nationwide fast-food chain. By 2011, there were around 85 restaurants in Sweden, compared to just 40 five years earlier.

From 2005 to 2010, Max expanded extensively to the western parts of Sweden, and in 2010, plans were announced to expand to Riyadh, Egypt and Dubai with Kuwait following.[9] Three years later Landmark Group was operating three Max restaurants in Dubai, where the menu was modified to exclude bacon.[10] The chain also operates restaurants in Poland. The first restaurant in Norway opened on May 11, 2011[11] followed by the first in Denmark on March 1, 2013, and in Poland September 1, 2017.[11]

As of December 17, 2024, there are 155 restaurants in Sweden,[2] 26 restaurants in Poland,[3] 8 in Norway[4] and 6 in Denmark.[5]

The name Max came from the nickname of Curt Bergfors, which was taken from Swedish actor Max von Sydow.[12]

Reception

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A Max Restaurant in Hammarby Sjöstad, Stockholm in Sweden.

Max was the first hamburger restaurant in Sweden to outcompete McDonald's restaurants, which happened in 1991 in Umeå and Luleå, where McDonald's (who arrived later in northern Sweden than in Sweden's major cities) in fact closed their restaurants before returning a few years later. In 2007, the popularity of Max forced the McDonald's in Skellefteå, Piteå and, again, in Luleå out of business.[13]

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  • In 1984, Max and McDonald's disputed the trademark of "Big Max," with McDonald's claiming it was too similar to "Big Mac." Initially, Max won in district court, but McDonald's won on appeal. Eventually, they reached a settlement where "Big Max" was renamed "BIG!".[14]
  • In 1992, Frasses, another burger chain, was ordered to pay Max 6 million SEK plus legal costs after its subsidiary deceived Max by purchasing a property under the pretense of using it for an art gallery, but instead opened a restaurant. The court ruled in 1996 that Frasses' subsidiary acted fraudulently, but Frasses then declared the subsidiary bankrupt. In 2005, the Supreme Court decided that the parent company was still liable. Max CEO Richard Bergfors donated the damages and legal cost compensation to SOS Children's Villages.[15]
  • In 2004, Max sued a restaurant in Tehran for allegedly copying Max's logo, interior design, and menu.[16][17]
  • In 2007, the SVT program Uppdrag Granskning revealed that a cleaning company contracted by Max was using undocumented workers. Max terminated the contract, offered jobs to the cleaners, and contracted with Samhall for cleaning services.[18][19][20]
  • Ahead of the 2009 UEFA European Under-21 Football Championship, UEFA required a "Clean Arena," meaning competitors of the main sponsors could not operate in or near the arena. Because McDonald's was a sponsor, Max in Borås was required to close its restaurant at the football stadium during the event.[21] This applied even on days when there were no matches. Max was willing to close only during matches, but UEFA did not accept this.[22] As a result, UEFA decided not to hold any matches in Borås.[23] In late 2009, Max agreed with the city of Borås to close if necessary for future events at Borås Arena.[24] When Max opened at Gamla Ullevi in late 2008, the contract stipulated that the arena owner could decide to close the restaurant.[25]
  • In autumn 2009, Max boycotted Dole Food Company because of their actions regarding Fredrik Gertten's documentary film, which revealed Dole's use of the harmful pesticide DBCP on its plantations in Nicaragua.[26]
  • In 2014, an internal monthly letter to employees, signed by Richard and Christoffer Bergfors, stated that "there would be consequences for the business" if the Left Party, Social Democrats, or Green Party were successful in the election.[27][28][29][30][31] Richard Bergfors stated that the Social Democrats' proposals to raise restaurant VAT and phase out reduced employer contributions for young people were "idiotic proposals."[31] He later maintained that Max was politically independent.[32] Some praised Max and the Bergfors brothers for "speaking clearly," while others criticized them for encouraging employees to vote a certain way, which the brothers claimed was a misunderstanding.[27][31][29]

2025 Hygiene scandal

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In February 2025, Swedish media reported widespread hygiene and food safety violations at Max. An investigation by Aftonbladet revealed that employees at multiple locations engaged in improper food handling practices.[33][34]

Reports included food being served past its expiration time, the use of the same cleaning cloths for toilets and food preparation areas, and milkshake machines being cleaned with contaminated water.[35] Additionally, some employees admitted to resetting timers to extend the serving time of heated food beyond safe limits.[36]

Aftonbladet reviewed 99 reports from food safety inspectors,[37] which documented issues such as mould, insect infestations, rodent droppings, and ingrained dirt at multiple Max restaurants.[33]

In response, Max's communications chief, Henric Byström, stated that the company took the allegations "with the highest seriousness." The company announced an internal investigation and a mandatory hygiene and food safety training program for all employees.[36]

Cross-contamination of vegetarian products

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The investigation also revealed that vegetarian and vegan products were often fried in the same oil as chicken, contradicting the company's advertised food safety standards.[38] Employees stated that this practice was imposed to meet time constraints, despite violating internal policies regarding the separation of meat and vegetarian products.[39]

A former MAX manager claimed that the issue was widely known within the company but was disregarded as long as it remained undisclosed to the public.[38] MAX confirmed that some older restaurant locations did not fully separate frying equipment for vegetarian and meat products, citing kitchen space limitations, but pledged to address the issue through gradual renovations.[38]

Employee non-disclosure orders

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Following the publication of the investigation, reports surfaced that MAX was requiring employees to sign non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) preventing them from discussing workplace conditions.[40][41] According to sources, employees were warned not to speak to the media about internal issues, raising concerns about transparency and workers' rights.[40][41]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b "About Max: MAX Burgers AB". Max Burgers AB. Retrieved 7 August 2019.[dead link‍]
  2. ^ a b "Hitta MAX". Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  3. ^ a b "Znajdź MAX". Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  4. ^ a b "Finn MAX". Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  5. ^ a b "Find MAX". Retrieved 17 December 2024.
  6. ^ "Max Burgers Egypt". Max Burgers Egypt. Retrieved 17 January 2023.[dead link‍]
  7. ^ Cite error: The named reference :1 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  8. ^ "Max grundare Curt Bergfors är död – sista tiden i Miami". www.expressen.se (in Swedish). 8 May 2022. Retrieved 22 May 2022.
  9. ^ Bengtson, Eva-Maria (19 September 2007). "DN: Maxad expansion för Maxburgare". Dagens Nyheter. Archived from the original on 12 October 2007.
  10. ^ Lindberg, Olof (30 March 2013). "Max etablerar sig i Dubai (Max setting up in Dubai - interview)". Dagens Nyheter. Archived from the original on 3 September 2017.
  11. ^ a b "Företaget | MAX". MAX Hamburgers. Archived from the original on 7 October 2011.
  12. ^ "Ett år efter pappa Curt Bergfors död: "Det kom som en chock"". kuriren.nu. 22 April 2023.
  13. ^ "Max winner of the great hamburger war - McDonald's fleeing from northern Sweden". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). 23 November 2007. Archived from the original on 17 August 2019. Retrieved 13 February 2023.
  14. ^ "Big Max omdöpt till BIG!". Archived from the original on 8 August 2019. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  15. ^ "HD fastställer: Frasses ska betala skadestånd till MAX". Max Pressmeddelande. 15 September 2005.
  16. ^ "Max stämmer iransk kopia". Dagens Nyheter. 2004. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  17. ^ Rydén, Hanna (8 July 2004). "De stal hela Max koncept". Aftonbladet. Retrieved 7 August 2019.
  18. ^ "Max tecknar städavtal med Samhall". Max Pressmeddelande. 24 October 2007.
  19. ^ "Max och Samhall i omfattande samarbete". Max Pressmeddelande. 1 November 2007. {{cite web}}: Check |archive-url= value (help)
  20. ^ "Max och städbolag". Max Pressmeddelande. 14 February 2008.
  21. ^ "MAX stänger - räddar fotbollsfesten i Borås" (Press release). Max. 5 June 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  22. ^ "Boråsarna: Max, vik er inte för UEFA" (Press release). Max. 21 July 2008. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  23. ^ "U21-EM: Ny spelort föreslås i månadsskiftet". Svenskfotboll.se. 22 July 2008. Archived from the original on 19 August 2014. Retrieved 7 February 2011.
  24. ^ "Max och Borås Stad överens om arenan" (Press release). Max. 21 December 2009. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  25. ^ Hugo, Linus (2008). "Max öppnar restaurang på Gamla Ullevi - trots Uefa-krav". Göteborgs-Posten. Retrieved 8 August 2019.
  26. ^ "Max bojkottar Dole". Dagens Industri. 5 October 2009.
  27. ^ a b ""Det kommer att få konsekvenser"". Aftonbladet (in Swedish). Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  28. ^ Bergström, Lina; Nilsson, Ellika; Timander, Adam (22 January 2014). "Hamburgerchef varnar personalen för (S) och (V)". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  29. ^ a b Nilsson, Ellika; Bergström, Lina; Haupt, Inger (22 January 2014). "Max ger sig in i politiken". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  30. ^ "Brev från Max-vd kritiseras". sverigesradio.se (in Swedish). (Sveriges Radio - P3 Nyheter Dokumentär). Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  31. ^ a b c "Max varnar för rödgrön valseger". nyheter24.se (in Swedish). 22 January 2014. Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  32. ^ "Max vd i blåsväder: "Vi är politiskt obundna"". sverigesradio.se (in Swedish). (Sveriges Radio - P4 Norrbotten). Retrieved 30 January 2021.
  33. ^ a b Nyheter, S. V. T. (18 February 2025). "Anställda vittnar om allvarliga brister i hygienrutinerna på Max". SVT Nyheter (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  34. ^ "Max calls for crisis meeting after revelations | Sweden Herald". swedenherald.com. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  35. ^ TT (19 February 2025). "Hygiene horrors: Staff claims shake Swedish burger chain, Max". www.norran.se. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  36. ^ a b Hedberg, Sofia (18 February 2025). "Krismöte på Max – efter snuskavslöjande". Omni (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  37. ^ Adin, Rebecka (18 February 2025). "Max i krismöte efter avslöjande om snusk". Göteborgs-Posten (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  38. ^ a b c "Max friterar kyckling och vegetariskt i samma olja". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 19 February 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  39. ^ Magnusson, Mattias (19 February 2025). "Anställda: Max friterar vegetariskt i köttolja". Omni (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  40. ^ a b "Tystnadsavtal – för att steka hamburgare". www.aftonbladet.se (in Swedish). 18 February 2025. Retrieved 20 February 2025.
  41. ^ a b Örn, Ebba (18 February 2025). "Max-anställda måste skriva under tystnadsavtal". Omni (in Swedish). Retrieved 20 February 2025.
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