BurgerFuel has always been about more than burgers – it’s about culture, community, and creativity. With Radio BurgerFuel, the brand has built a soundtrack that helps it connect.
BurgerFuel has carved out a distinctive place in Aotearoa’s hospitality landscape by building a brand that’s as bold and flavourful as its burgers. Since opening its first store in Ponsonby, Auckland in 1995, the burger joint has focused on creating more than just a meal. It has crafted a lifestyle brand. A key part of that experience is soundtracked by Radio BurgerFuel, the brand’s very own in-store radio station.
Launched in 2012, Radio BurgerFuel was born from a desire to deepen the brand’s lifestyle appeal and create a consistent, immersive atmosphere across its 60+ locations. As BurgerFuel’s Marketing Content Specialist, Charlotte Hopgood explains, “Our music playlist is carefully curated and updated every week with new music, with a strong focus on Kiwi music and up-and-comers.”
“The music is promoted throughout all locations nationwide, creating a unified sound across all stores. It plays live, as well as in our head office and ties the brand experience together really nicely for staff and customers through a shared soundtrack.”
The process of building and growing Radio BurgerFuel was a lot of trial and error and didn’t hit the mark right from the start. Early feedback from staff highlighted mismatches between the music and the time of day. “Prepping to heavy metal at 8am was not what they were after,” Charlotte recalls. “Nor was low energy music playing at peak service on a Friday night.” This feedback was a turning point for Radio BurgerFuel, ensuring the music matched the energy of the moment for both staff and customers.
As the station evolved, so did its reach and impact. BurgerFuel brought on a dedicated DJ to keep the playlists fresh and relevant, incorporating feedback and staying in tune with what resonated in-store. “Since the beginning of Radio BurgerFuel twelve years ago, its purpose has stayed the same, being designed with the customers in mind, to make the store experience really positive; and music is really important to that,” Charlotte says.
The initiative didn’t stop at playlists. BurgerFuel began offering DJ cut classes, where aspiring artists could learn to mix their own music. These sessions fed directly into the live DJ sets broadcast during peak hours, giving emerging talent a platform and adding a dynamic edge to the in-store vibe.
Local stores embraced the concept further, hosting DJs for their own events, creating an entire vibe and experience within stores, turning Radio BurgerFuel into a fully-fledged radio station, and a platform for music and community engagement. The station has since expanded to feature international artists interviews, and even a “tiny desk” series showcasing up-and-coming performers in intimate, in-store gigs.
“Now we have stores that get really amongst this,” Charlotte shares. “With live DJs in-store or cool music on if there’s an event in town.” It’s a testament to how deeply music is woven into the BurgerFuel brand.
This approach shows how BurgerFuel has taken the musical pillar of the brand and used it to give back to the people who produced it. Securing a OneMusic license was a crucial step in legitimising and expanding the station’s reach.
“Getting our OneMusic license was so important,” Charlotte explains. “Because it meant we’re legally entitled to broadcast our Radio BurgerFuel playlist across stores nationwide.”
This license not only ensures compliance but reinforces BurgerFuel‘s commitment to supporting artists and fostering a thriving music ecosystem while enhancing the dining experience and its cult success.
Check out Radio BurgerFuel for yourself instore and online at radioburgerfuel.com
And to find out more about getting a OneMusic license to liven up your business premises, click here.
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