Hesburger, the largest fast food chain in Finland, plans to invest more than EUR12 million in at least 10 new restaurants in the western regions of Ukraine over the next 5 years, the Ministry of Agrarian Policy and Food has announced.
According to the report, Deputy Minister of Agrarian Policy and Food of Ukraine Oksana Osmachko discussed further ways of developing cooperation between Ukraine and Finland with Janne Harjunpaa, CEO of the Eastoffice of Finnish Industries, and Wanda Zamitska-Bergendale, CEO of Hesburger Ukraine.
“In March 2025, Hesburger made an investment of EUR 7.3 million, opening a production and warehouse complex for the production of cutlets and storage of products near Kyiv. The facility’s capacity is up to 6 tons of meat per day, and the expected volume is to serve up to 50 restaurants. Ten new jobs have been created,” the ministry said, adding that this initiative was the first Finnish industrial investment in Ukraine since the beginning of the full-scale war.
The East Office of Finnish Industries is the official representative office of Finnish business, which serves as a coordination platform for leading Finnish companies to promote their interests, develop business ties and create a favorable environment for investment and commercial activities.
Among the main members of East Office are Kone, Wärtsilä, Fortum, Neste, Outokumpu, Valmet, Orion, Tikkurila, Metso and other key players in the Finnish economy. The total annual turnover of all participating companies is about EUR 50 billion.
The Finnish company Hesburger was founded by Heikki Salmela and his wife Kirsti Salmela and started its fast food business in 1966 in the town of Naantali.
Hesburger currently operates in nine countries and has more than 480 restaurants, including 269 in Finland, 64 in Lithuania, 53 in Estonia, 53 in Latvia, 32 in Bulgaria, two in Germany and one in Poland. In Ukraine, Hesburger currently has seven locations in Kyiv and Kyiv region.
In Finland, Hesburger employs more than 6 thousand people, while the total number of employees in the chain exceeds 9.1 thousand.
The Finnish chain of fast food restaurants Hesburger is resuming the work of four establishments in Kyiv and the Kyiv region in July, and three more in August, according to the network’s website.
“We had a conversation with the managers of each restaurant and the management of the network in Ukraine. Ukrainians want to return to normal life as soon as possible. That is why we decided to open restaurants at the request of the managers of our establishments. According to our employees, local customers also hope and expect the opening of restaurants “, Hesburger CEO Kari Salmela was quoted as saying.
He stressed that the safety of customers and employees remains a priority, so the company is closely monitoring the development of the situation in Ukraine in connection with Russia’s military aggression.
According to the report, Hesburger continued to pay salaries to all employees, despite the closure of establishments due to the military invasion of the Russian Federation. In addition, the company, through charitable organizations, donated free food to orphanages, nursing homes, social workers and the Ukrainian army.
Earlier in March 2022, Hesburger made the decision to close all 38 restaurants in Russia and 4 in Belarus.
Hesburger was founded in 1980 in Finland. The network has more than 450 restaurants and is also represented in Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia, Bulgaria, Ukraine and Germany.
The Hesburger chain in Ukraine has seven restaurants in Kyiv and the Kyiv region. The company has 100 employees.
