Holy Cow Burger Lausanne: Founder Story, 3 Addresses and Swiss Beef
Richard Williams founded Holy Cow! in Lausanne in 2009. Its three Lausanne addresses, who owns the chain now, and how Swiss its beef really is.
If you want a Holy Cow! burger in Lausanne, there are three branches: Rue des Terreaux 10 and Cheneau-de-Bourg 17 in the city centre, and Les Arcades on the EPFL campus in Ecublens. This is where the chain began. Richard Williams founded Holy Cow! Gourmet Burger Co. in Lausanne in 2009 on a simple pitch: a fresh gourmet burger made from Swiss ingredients, served in 5 to 8 minutes. Since August 2023 the company has been majority-owned by Better Burger Society, set up by the Finnish restaurant group NoHo Partners and Intera Partners.
No, Anne-Sophie Pic does not serve burgers in Lausanne. Her name comes up in searches for a burger here, so let me settle it. PIC au Beau-Rivage Palace (Chemin de Beau-Rivage 21, 1006 Lausanne) is fine dining: 2 Michelin stars, 18/20 from Gault&Millau, Jordan Theurillat as chef de cuisine cooking to her vision, and no burger on the menu. Lunch, served Wednesday to Friday, starts at CHF 120. Sources: Beau-Rivage Palace and Lausanne Tourisme, checked 7 October 2026. Lausanne’s burger story belongs to someone else: Richard Williams.
The Beau-Rivage Palace in Lausanne-Ouchy, home of Anne-Sophie Pic’s 2-Michelin-star PIC restaurant: fine dining, no burger on the menu (Photo: Gregor Julien Straube, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=42880906), 2502×1815)
Who founded Holy Cow! burgers in Lausanne?
Richard Williams founded Holy Cow! Gourmet Burger Co. in Lausanne in 2009. He drew the concept and the recipes from his work and travels in food businesses around the world. He is a beef farmer’s son, and the brand says he is still with the company as head of quality assurance. Sources: Holy Cow! ‘Our values’ (first name only) and L’Hôtellerie Restauration (full name), both checked 7 October 2026.
That last detail is why I take the Swiss-beef claim more seriously than most chain slogans. The person who grew up around cattle is the one who signs off on quality. The branding, on the other hand, never tried to look serious. Holy Cow! lists its inspirations as Anglo-Saxon vibes, South Park and Ben & Jerry’s (Holy Cow! 15th anniversary news). Cartoon tone, strict sourcing: that pairing is the brand, and it has outlasted two changes of owner.
The Holy Cow! Gourmet Burger Company storefront at Cheneau-de-Bourg 17 in central Lausanne, with the Bessières bridge behind (2017); the chain founded by Richard Williams in 2009 kept its cow logo (Photo: Guilhem Vellut, CC BY 2.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=152592175, via https://www.flickr.com/photos/22539273@N00/36743121982), 5472×3648. Founder portrait of Richard Williams: no licensed image found, original photo needed)
The Holy Cow! timeline: from Lausanne start-up to Finnish ownership
Three dates shaped Holy Cow!: 2009 in Lausanne, the 2017 takeover that made it a national brand, and the 2023 sale to majority Finnish ownership. The table lists every milestone I could confirm in a primary or reputable source.
| Year | Milestone | Source |
|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Richard Williams founds Holy Cow! Gourmet Burger Co. in Lausanne | holycow.ch, NoHo Partners |
| 15 Nov 2012 | First restaurant in France opens on Rue de la République in Rouen, run by French partners Nicolas Dubaut and Flavien Peron | L’Hôtellerie Restauration |
| 2017 | A group of local entrepreneurs led by Adrian, the current CEO, buys the company and turns it into a national brand | holycow.ch |
| 6 Jul 2023 | NoHo Partners and Intera Partners announce that Better Burger Society will buy 76% of Holy Cow! for about EUR 24 million | NoHo Partners |
| 14 Aug 2023 | The acquisition closes | NoHo Partners |
| 2024 | 15th anniversary: a CHF 15.00 menu on the 15th of each month at participating branches | holycow.ch |
Holy Cow! timeline, 2009 to 2024 (horizontal timeline chart): founded in Lausanne by Richard Williams (2009), first French restaurant in Rouen (15 Nov 2012), takeover by local entrepreneurs led by Adrian (2017), 76% sold to Better Burger Society for about EUR 24 million with 16 restaurants (6 Jul 2023, closed 14 Aug 2023), CHF 15.00 anniversary menu on the 15th (2024) (Chart: Burger Breton, original graphic to build; data from NoHo Partners press releases (6 Jul and 14 Aug 2023), holycow.ch and L’Hôtellerie Restauration)
Who owns Holy Cow! today?
Better Burger Society, the company formed by NoHo Partners and Intera Partners, has owned 76% of Holy Cow! since the deal closed on 14 August 2023. When the deal was announced, the chain had 16 restaurants and expected about EUR 40 million in sales for 2023 (NoHo Partners, 6 July 2023). The official site names Adrian as CEO. I have left out his surname because no primary source I found gives it.
Holy Cow! Lausanne addresses
Holy Cow! has three branches around Lausanne: two in the city centre and one on the EPFL campus. All three are listed on the official Holy Cow! site (checked 7 October 2026).
| Branch | Address | Area |
|---|---|---|
| Terreaux | Rue des Terreaux 10, 1003 Lausanne | City centre |
| Cheneau-de-Bourg | Cheneau-de-Bourg 17, 1003 Lausanne | City centre |
| EPFL | Quartier Nord, Les Arcades, Route Louis-Favre 8d, 1024 Ecublens | EPFL campus |
Rue des Terreaux looking toward Place Bel-Air in central Lausanne, the street of the Holy Cow! branch at number 10 (Photo: Gzzz, CC BY-SA 4.0 (https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=89980787), 3712×5568)
You won’t find opening hours or menu prices here. The ones I found were on third-party pages with no date, and they didn’t match the current menu on holycow.ch. Check the branch page on the official site before you go. I also can’t tell you which of the three was the original 2009 shop. The brand only calls it a small place in the centre of Lausanne.
Map of burger restaurants in Lausanne: the three Holy Cow! branches (Rue des Terreaux 10, Cheneau-de-Bourg 17, EPFL Les Arcades in Ecublens), plus Zooburger (Avenue Mon-Loisir 16) and Inglewood (Boulevard de Grancy 32) (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL; render a local static image with the five markers, do not hotlink tiles)
Is Holy Cow! beef Swiss?
Yes. Holy Cow! uses only Swiss meat, and its fries carry the Suisse Garantie label. The brand says its meat, bread, potatoes and salad are all sourced and produced in Switzerland (Holy Cow! ‘Our values’, checked 7 October 2026).
Thick-cut fries next to a sesame and poppy seed bun at Holy Cow! Lausanne; the chain says its potatoes are grown in Switzerland and its fries carry the Suisse Garantie label (Photo: Guilhem Vellut, CC BY 2.0 (https://www.flickr.com/photos/22539273@N00/36079284164), 1024×683)
That is the whole pitch: Swiss ingredients, cooked to order, served in 5 to 8 minutes. It places Holy Cow! between fast food and a sit-down burger restaurant, and that’s the right yardstick for it. Next to other quick burgers, fully Swiss sourcing is a real edge. Next to a place that bakes its own buns, you are choosing speed over craft.
Best burger in Lausanne: how Holy Cow! compares
Holy Cow! is Lausanne’s home-grown burger chain, but local guides and food media keep naming two other places: Zooburger and Inglewood. The table compares only what I could verify about each. It is not a taste ranking.
| Holy Cow! | Zooburger | Inglewood | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Founder / origin | Richard Williams, Lausanne, 2009 | Adrien Rigaud | Family business that started in Geneva |
| Lausanne address | Rue des Terreaux 10, Cheneau-de-Bourg 17, EPFL Ecublens | Avenue Mon-Loisir 16, 1006 Lausanne | Boulevard de Grancy 32; Rue Saint-Laurent |
| Sourcing | Swiss meat, Suisse Garantie fries, Swiss bread, potatoes and salad | Bread baked in-house, meat from Puidoux, vegetables from Le Mont-sur-Lausanne | Not documented in my sources |
| What stands out | Fast service (5 to 8 minutes), playful branding | ‘Mafioso’ burger: sun-dried tomato bun, grana padano, homemade pesto | A new ‘burger of the month’ every month |
| Source | holycow.ch | Gault&Millau POP | Le Temps, City of Lausanne |
My take: Holy Cow! is the pick when time is short and you want fully Swiss sourcing. With three branches, one is rarely far away. If homemade bread and named local suppliers matter more to you, go to Zooburger. Inglewood is for regulars who like a menu that moves, because its burger changes every month. I’ll add more places to the Lausanne burger hub as I verify them.
Holy Cow! and BurgerFuel: two founder-led burger chains
Holy Cow! took a common route for founder-led burger chains: a strong local start, outside money, then national growth. New Zealand’s BurgerFuel went from one Auckland store in 1995 to a company listed on the NZX in 2007. I tell that story in my guide to BurgerFuel in Wellington. For other cities, browse all our burger restaurant guides by city.
How I put this profile together
This is a documented profile, not a scored review: I did not rate Holy Cow! or its rivals. Founding facts, sourcing and addresses come from the official Holy Cow! site. Ownership figures come from NoHo Partners’ two press releases of July and August 2023. The Rouen opening comes from a single trade report, L’Hôtellerie Restauration (3 December 2012), cited as such. The Zooburger and Inglewood details come from Gault&Millau POP, Le Temps and the City of Lausanne. I checked every source on 7 October 2026. I left out what I could not confirm: the CEO’s surname, the current number of branches, menu names, prices and opening hours.
Holy Cow burger Lausanne FAQ
Does Anne-Sophie Pic have a burger restaurant in Lausanne? No. Her Lausanne restaurant is PIC au Beau-Rivage Palace, a 2-Michelin-star fine-dining restaurant with no burger on the menu. She opened it in 2009 (Wikipedia).
Who founded Holy Cow! burgers, and is it from Lausanne? Yes, it is from Lausanne. Richard Williams founded Holy Cow! Gourmet Burger Co. there in 2009.
Who owns Holy Cow! today? Better Burger Society, a company created by NoHo Partners and Intera Partners, has owned 76% of Holy Cow! since 14 August 2023. It paid about EUR 24 million for that stake.
Where are the Holy Cow! restaurants in Lausanne? At Rue des Terreaux 10 and Cheneau-de-Bourg 17 in 1003 Lausanne, and at Les Arcades, Route Louis-Favre 8d, on the EPFL campus in Ecublens. Check opening hours on holycow.ch, as I could not confirm them.
Is the beef at Holy Cow! Swiss? Yes. Holy Cow! uses only Swiss meat, and says its bread, potatoes and salad are Swiss too. Its fries are Suisse Garantie certified.
Where is the best burger in Lausanne? Holy Cow!, Zooburger and Inglewood are the three names most often cited. Holy Cow! stands out for fully Swiss sourcing, Zooburger for in-house bread and named local suppliers, and Inglewood for its monthly burger.
How much does a burger cost in Lausanne? I could not verify current burger prices in CHF on an official menu, so I don’t quote any. For reference, Holy Cow! ran a CHF 15.00 menu on the 15th of each month in 2024 for its 15th anniversary.
