Bembos: History, Key Facts and Reviews

1988-1995: two burger fans open a grill in Miraflores

Bembos opened on June 11, 1988, at the corner of Avenida Benavides and Avenida Larco in Miraflores, Lima (Wikipedia). Its founders, Carlos Camino and Mirko Cermak, were burger enthusiasts with no restaurant experience who rented the premises and grilled their beef over charcoal (Gestión). Peru was then in the middle of hyperinflation. A second restaurant followed in San Isidro in 1990. Burger King only entered Peru in 1994 and McDonald’s in 1996, which gave the local brand a head start in its home market (Peru Retail).

1996-2010: Peruvian flavors, delivery and a first try abroad

Bembos held off the American chains by giving its burgers a Peruvian accent, with ají sauces and local toppings. From 1990 a processing plant standardized its products, and in the mid-1990s it opened at least four restaurants a year (Gestión). In 2000 it was among the first Peruvian restaurants to offer delivery (Infomercado). It reached Cusco in 2007. Franchises took the brand abroad: Mumbai in the mid-2000s, then Noida and New Delhi, Panama City in 2008 and Guatemala City in May 2009.

2011-2016: the sale to Intercorp

In March 2011 Intercorp bought Bembos through its restaurant arm, NG Restaurants (NGR), for about US$40 million. The deal covered Peru only, and the franchises in India and Guatemala closed (Wikipedia). NGR went on to add China Wok, Don Belisario, Popeyes, Dunkin’ and Papa John’s. Gestión, citing a PAD business school case study, describes 2012 to 2016 as hard years: new suppliers, distribution center problems, the end of the Inca Kola deal in favor of Pepsi, and monthly staff turnover that peaked at 22%.

2017-2026: 122 restaurants across Peru

Today Bembos is a Peru-only chain with no restaurant abroad. In 2023 it claimed about half of the Peruvian burger market and a presence in 14 provinces (Peru Retail). In September 2023 its first restaurant in Iquitos, at Mall Aventura, brought the network to 122 points of sale nationwide (Peru Retail). In February 2026 it reopened its Boulevard de Asia restaurant south of Lima with self-order kiosks, new sauces such as rocoto dulce and aguaymanto, and weekend hours until 5 a.m. (Peru Retail).

Key dates

• 1988: Carlos Camino and Mirko Cermak open Bembos in Miraflores, Lima, on June 11.
• 1990: second restaurant, in San Isidro.
• 2000: Bembos launches delivery.
• 2009: a franchise opens in Guatemala City, the last of its foreign ventures.
• 2011: Intercorp buys Bembos for about US$40 million.
• 2023: first restaurant in Iquitos, 122 points of sale in Peru.
• 2026: the renovated Boulevard de Asia restaurant reopens.