Burgez called itself the world's most irreverent fast food — then went bust

Burgez was an Italian burger chain founded in 2015 as the Milan Expo opened, launching with a flagship location on Corso di Porta Ticinese. The brand built its identity on aggressive guerrilla marketing — a fake note from an exploited cashier, provocative Women's Day T-shirts — and branded itself "the most irreverent fast food in the world." Founder Simone Ciaruffoli, a creative director, wrote an autobiography titled Il vangelo secondo Burgez.

The chain expanded from its Milan base to multiple Italian cities, becoming part of a wave of trendy fast-food concepts that aimed to elevate burger dining. Burgez opened outlets on Via Savona and Via Marghera in Milan, and exported the format to other Italian markets. The company Burgez Srl was registered at Via Cusani 1, 20121 Milan.

By mid-2025 the chain was insolvent. On July 9, 2025, the Milan Bankruptcy Court declared the opening of judicial liquidation (liquidazione giudiziale), replacing the traditional bankruptcy procedure. The court noted a state of "heavy insolvency" with overdue debts well above the €30,000 legal threshold. A curator, lawyer Francesca Monica Cocco, was appointed to inventory assets. Creditors were summoned for a hearing on October 15, 2025. Burgez was one of several trendy Italian fast-food chains — including That's Vapore and Sun Tzu — that entered liquidation in the same period.