Tommi Tómasson, an Icelandic restaurateur is also the owner of the burger joint that defeated McDonald’s or any fast-food chain in aspects of taste, feel, and authenticity in Iceland.
The 70-year-old burger connoisseur fell in love with the burger when he was living in the United States. Upon his return, he started Iceland’s first fast-food chain – and the rest is history. What’s interesting, the man became an instant and lasting legend in the country.
“More than 70 percent of the people in Iceland know who I am or have heard of me,” he says.
He started his career in a restaurant in Reykjavík’s main airport. Due to his drinking problem, he went to rehab. However, he was lost after coming out of rehabilitation. But he immediately knew that making burgers is his calling.
It was the only job available to him after rehab. But he recognizes it as his future source of income. He traveled to America to find inspiration for his burger and came back with a mission.
“Someone told me before I went: ‘If you want a good burger, you go to America’,” He was inspired by the country’s restaurant scene, and a plan was born: to open a steakhouse in Iceland.
In 1981, he opened his first fast-food chain. And he has been doing it ever since, expanding his business.
“When you start a project, you have two options: either you finish or you quit. And I never quit. There’s an Icelandic saying that says: ‘Conquer the world or die.’ So what are you gonna do? You’re gonna conquer the world.” – Tommi Tómasson.
Tommi sold on average a thousand burgers every day when it first opened. Now, at 70, he is still going strong and not slowing down. Keeping a healthy lifestyle, he is an inspiration to many in keeping in shape. Owning a burger joint is no excuse to not take care of oneself.
Foodies can now find his signature burger joints in England, Germany, Denmark, Italy, and Norway.
Source: Culture Trip