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_02.jpg) Wayback Burgers, Winschoten, Netherlands | |
| Formerly |
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|---|---|
| Company type | Private |
| Industry | Fast Casual Restaurant |
| Founded | 1991; 34 years ago (1991) (as Jake's Hamburgers) Newark, Delaware, U.S. |
| Headquarters | , U.S. |
Number of locations | 185 |
Area served |
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Key people |
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| Products |
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| Revenue | US$ 116.1 million (2020)[1] |
| Website | waybackburgers |
Wayback Burgers, previously known asJake's Wayback Burgers, is an Americanfast casual restaurant chain based inCheshire, Connecticut. Wayback serves typical hamburger restaurant foods such as hamburgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwiches, milkshakes and salads, and a variety of regional selections. Created inNewark, Delaware,[2] Wayback began expansion in the late 2000s; in 2013, it was announced that the chain was expanding internationally to an additional 28 countries, with locations in theMiddle East and North Africa slated to open in early 2014. The second international agreement signed is with Argentina.[3]
As of October 2016, 133 locations were in operation worldwide.[4]
The first Wayback Burgers location was opened in 1991 in Delaware under the name Jake's Hamburgers.[5][6] Several more locations were opened, leading to the beginning of franchising in the early 2000s where the name was changed to Jake's Wayback Burgers in 2010.[5][7] To date, the chain has expanded to 95 locations, with an additional 75 currently in development. They are spread throughout the United States, ranging from New England, New York, Florida, Texas, Ohio, and California. Wayback is similar to other 'better burger' brands such asFive Guys,Shake Shack, andFuddruckers.
The first location in the state ofOhio was opened inWadsworth in June 2011.[8]
The first location in the state ofIndiana was opened inEvansville in March 2012.[9]
The 50th location was opened inBrooklyn,New York City in July 2012.[10]
The first location in the state ofNew Hampshire was opened inSalem in August 2012.[11]
The first location in the state ofSouth Carolina was opened inSpartanburg in January 2013.[12]
In August 2013, the first location in the state ofTexas was opened inWaxahachie[13] and the first location in the state ofMinnesota was opened inWoodbury.[14]
The first location in the state ofColorado was opened inColorado Springs in November 2013.[15]
During the summer of 2014, the chain announced the drop of "Jake's" from the title to deter confusion with a smaller competitor in the southern United States. Many locations will keep existing signage with the name "Jake's" on storefronts, but all new franchises will be known as "Wayback Burgers".[16]
The first location in the state ofGeorgia was opened inSavannah in January 2015.[17]
As part of a publicity stunt, Wayback offered milkshakes made with protein powder derived fromcrickets in June 2015 as part of a limited-time offer.[18] As a bug-free alternative during the same promotional period, Wayback also offered a beef flavored shake that was garnished with aSlim Jim.[19]
The first location in the state ofIllinois was opened inNaperville in May 2016.[20]
In 2016, Wayback Burgers investigated the possibility of aninitial public offering but did not proceed further.[21]
The first location outside the United States was opened inPalermo, Buenos Aires, inArgentina in February 2015.[22]
Nine months later, the first location inSaudi Arabia was opened inAl Khobar in November 2015 on the other side of the planet.[23] This was the second location to open outside the United States.
The first location in the Southeast Asian country ofBrunei was opened in the Setia Kenangan area inKiulap in May 2016, making this the third location outside the United States.[24]
In Europe, Wayback Burgers opened its first location in the city ofBreda in theNetherlands, on December 1, 2018.[25]
In Japan, Wayback Burgers opened its first location inOmotesando,Japan, on March 22, 2022. The company has plans to open 60 more locations in Japan over the next 20 years.[26]
Jake's Wayback Burgers is opening a restaurant at 1090 Williams Reserve Blvd., Suite H, in Wadsworth this month.
Jake's Wayback Burgers has opened at 115 Cross Pointe Blvd., off the East Lloyd Expressway near the Shell Service Center.