Burger wars: Founder of Qld chain set to face a liquidator’s grilling

The founder of successful fast food chain Burger Urge is set to face a court grilling about his failed company Burger Urge Franchising.

Burger Urge founder Sean Carthew and pet pooch Grug. Picture: Tara Croser.

The founder of successful fast food chain Burger Urge is set to face a court grilling about his failed company Burger Urge Franchising.

Sean Charles Carthew has been summonsed to appear in the Federal Court to answer questions at a liquidators examination on September 5 and 6.

The order demanding he appear in court for examination by liquidator Andrew Fielding from BDO business restructuring was made by a Federal Court registrar Peter Schmidt on July 6.

Burger Urge Franchising Pty Ltd, which is officially now known as ACN 159 816 832 PTY LTD, was tipped into liquidation in January last year.

In March this year Mr Fielding took over as liquidator from Bill Karageozis.

Mr Carthew, 42, and his brother began the chain 16 years ago, opening their first store in New Farm, then at West End.

Mr Carthew lives in a $3m house overlooking the ocean at Tugun on the Gold Coast.

Burger Urge now has 27 stores in NSW, Victoria, NT and Queensland, according to the website, but had plans for up to 40 back in 2016.

Burger Urge Franchising Pty Ltd was in court last year when Sonic Foods Pty Ltd, a company owned by fast food industry veteran, and former Burger Urge chairman, Tom Potter, from Gumdale, south-east of Brisbane, served a creditor’s statutory demand for payment of a debt on the company.

Sonic alleged Mr Carthew’s company owed it $233,737 as part of an out-of-court settlement agreed in November 2016, to settle a bitter Federal Court fight over the Burger Urge store in the Logan Hyperdome, south of Brisbane.