How it all began...

The Hamburger Story

How the burger conquered the world ... and created a stir at SALOMON FoodWorld

It has taken pride of place on its sesame-seeded bun for 100
years, to this day retaining its position as "best seller" - and in
addition to this has adopted many guises: the hamburger. It
continues to take many and varied new forms, adapting perfectly to suit modern lifestyles. There is a wide choice of chicken burgers or vegetarian options as a change from the "classic".

But when did burger fever actually begin, capturing the
imagination of the world? According to the archives, the "original hamburger" was officially presented in 1904 at the St. Louis World's Fair - exactly 100 years ago. In a short time the burger, then referred to as "a meatball between two halves of a bread bun", became a cult, and every supplier developed his own special recipe and sales strategy.

At SALOMON Foodworld, the first HITBurger Hamburger left the production line in 1980. The partnership with BURGER KING began right from the start. A few years later there followed the HITBurger Classic, based on the American model: unspiced, juicy and very coarse-grained. Under the motto "Think Big" the HITBurger Classic ensured "American Feeling" in German diners and snack bars.

A further milestone in SALOMON FoodWorlds own burger story was set in 1984, when SALOMON® became the exclusive supplier of the BURGER KING Whopper, going on since 2001 to supply other European countries with the company's most significant branded product.

In the year 2000 SALOMON FoodWorld developed the ultimate Giant Burger, the innovation which made the impossible possible - the Giant is the biggest industrially-produced burger in the world, weighing in at up to 339g. Special shapes are also produced to attract attention, such as the heart-shaped I Love You Burger. A strong partnership has been built up with Hatting who produced the matching buns.

Dates & Facts

1834
The New York restaurant "Delminico" is the first to offer a Hamburger Steak - still without bread roll - aimed at German sailors and immigrants.

1885
At an annual fair in the little town of Seymour a flat Hamburger is said to have been sold as a snack.

Around 1900
The Hamburger and the Hamburger Steak are not popular with "high society", because both are considered the food of common folk.

1885
At an annual fair in the little town of Seymour a flat Hamburger is said to have been sold as a snack.

1904
The Hamburger first achieves fame at the St. Louis World's Fair, when Fletcher Davis presents a minced beef steak with mustard and onions, which was even praised by the New York Tribune.

1916
The American chef Walter Anderson packs the Hamburger between two halves of a bread roll and sells it from a stand with an open counter, the "White Castle". In the 1920s and 1930s, dozens of such stands appear. Anderson has popularised the Hamburger.

1948
The final breakthrough and an assured place in American food culture. The brothers Richard and Maurice McDonald open the first "Drive-in Hamburger Bar" in San Bernardino.

1954
Jim McLamore and David Edgerton found BURGER KING in Miami, Florida.

1955
The McDonald brothers sell out to Ray Krok, who also acquires the worldwide marketing rights. In the same year he opens his first McDonald's.

1957
BURGER KING introduces the "Whopper", the company's most significant branded product, to the market.

1961
Mc Donald's brings the Hamburger University to life. To date, the Chicago-based training institution has trained many hundreds of McDonald's managers.

1965
McDonald's is quoted on the stock exchange.

1968
Jim Delligatti, McDonald's franchisee, invents the Big Mac, which goes on to become the chain's most important product.

1969
Sector newcomer Wendy's opens in Columbus, Ohio, its first
outlet.

1971
On 4 December 1971, McDonald's opens its first restaurant in Germany, in Munich, Martin-Luther-Strasse.

1975
BURGER KING'S first European outlet, in Madrid.

1986
Wendy's establishes the Big Classic.

1989
Ten BURGER KING academies begin training activities in the USA, with another in London four years later.

1996
The annual burger consumption in the USA exceeds the five billion mark for the first time.

2002
Mc Donald's has over 30,000 outlets in 121 countries.

2003
BURGER KING International opens its 3000th restaurant in Europe. The "jubilee outlet" is located in Hamburg-Moorflet. BURGER KING has 11,350 restaurants worldwide, of which 400 are in Germany.