Holy Cow! Burgers: History, Facts and Reviews

2009-2011: a Swiss-beef burger bar in Lausanne

Holy Cow! opened in 2009 as a small burger bar in the centre of Lausanne, with one promise: a fresh gourmet burger made from Swiss ingredients and served in five to eight minutes (Holy Cow!). Its founder, Richard Williams, built the concept and recipes from years of working and travelling in food businesses abroad. The brand lists its inspirations as Anglo-Saxon vibes, South Park and Ben & Jerry’s, hence the cartoon cow (Holy Cow! 15th anniversary). Demand forced a move to larger premises within months. The meat and the fries carry the Suisse Garantie label, and the bread, potatoes and salad are Swiss too.

2012-2016: French-speaking Switzerland and a test in Rouen

Holy Cow! first grew across French-speaking Switzerland. By late 2012 it had four Swiss restaurants, and on November 15, 2012, a franchised branch opened on Rue de la République in Rouen, run by Nicolas Dubaut and Flavien Peron with Normandy beef (L’Hôtellerie Restauration). It sold 125 burgers on its first day. Montpellier and Toulouse were announced for 2013, but the chain’s website lists no French restaurant today.

2017-2022: local entrepreneurs make it a national brand

In 2017 a group of local entrepreneurs led by Adrian, the current CEO, bought the company and turned a regional chain into a national brand (Holy Cow!). After French-speaking Switzerland, the next target was Zurich. When the company was sold in 2023, NoHo Partners named Adrian Stadelmann and Guy Bardet as the local founders staying on as partners. Our Holy Cow! Lausanne guide tells the founder’s story and lists the three Lausanne addresses.

2023-2026: Finnish owners and 21 restaurants

Holy Cow! now belongs mostly to a Nordic restaurant group. On July 6, 2023, NoHo Partners and Intera Partners announced that their new company, Better Burger Society, would buy 76% of Holy Cow! for about €24 million; the chain then had 16 restaurants (NoHo Partners). The deal closed on August 14, 2023 (NoHo Partners). For its 15th anniversary in 2024, the chain sold a CHF 15.00 menu on the 15th of each month. Its website now lists 21 restaurants, from Geneva and Sion to St. Gallen, Lucerne, Grancia near Lugano and Zurich Airport. Our review of Holy Cow! in Basel covers one of them in detail.

Key dates

• 2009: Richard Williams opens the first Holy Cow! in Lausanne.
• 2012: a franchised branch opens in Rouen, France, on November 15.
• 2017: a group of local entrepreneurs buys the company and takes it national.
• 2023: Better Burger Society buys 76% of Holy Cow!, which then has 16 restaurants.
• 2024: 15th anniversary, with a CHF 15.00 menu on the 15th of each month.
• 2026: 21 restaurants in Switzerland.