Gasoline Grill, the Copenhagen burger chain that won international recognition after opening in a former petrol station in 2016, is facing criticism from a prominent Danish food reviewer who believes its expansion has come at the expense of the qualities that originally made it special.
Adam Haugsted, who reviews food for nearly 240,000 Instagram followers under the name The Food Fetichist, has questioned whether some of Copenhagen’s most successful food businesses can maintain their original appeal as they grow into chains.
In an interview with TV 2 Kosmopol, Haugsted singled out Gasoline Grill and Hart Bakery as examples of businesses that, in his opinion, have lost something along the way.
From a petrol station to a Copenhagen favourite
Gasoline Grill opened its first restaurant on 26 April 2016, inside a converted petrol station on Landgreven, in central Copenhagen.
The concept was simple: freshly prepared burgers made with organic ingredients, served from a small and unconventional location. It quickly attracted attention, with customers queuing outside even in bad weather.
Its reputation soon extended beyond Denmark. In 2017, Bloomberg included Gasoline Grill among 27 notable burger restaurants worldwide, helping establish its international reputation.
Over the following years, the business expanded into a chain with locations across the Danish capital.
For Haugsted, however, something changed during that expansion. He recalls the original restaurant as a distinctive experience, combining an unusual setting with exceptionally good burgers.
He now believes the quality no longer consistently matches those early standards.
A disappointing Gasoline Grill burger sparks criticism
The immediate cause of the dispute was a burger Haugsted recently purchased from Gasoline Grill.
Disappointed by its appearance and overall quality, he published a video on social media comparing it to a grey November day.
Asked whether the experience might simply have been an isolated mistake, Haugsted acknowledged that this was possible. However, he pointed to comments from followers describing similar disappointments.
Those reactions, however, do not establish that the chain’s quality has declined across its restaurants.
Gasoline Grill’s founder rejects the criticism
Klaus Wittrup, the founder of Gasoline Grill, strongly disputes the suggestion that expansion has undermined the company’s standards.
In a written response to TV 2 Kosmopol, he said the business takes negative customer experiences seriously, but argued that one disappointing burger cannot demonstrate a wider problem.
A single experience does not document a general decline in quality.
Wittrup stressed that the company continues to use the same cuts of organic beef, suppliers and preparation methods. According to him, the burgers are still prepared individually at each restaurant, where employees grind the meat and shape the patties every morning.
He also said the company has gradually extended its use of organic ingredients to buns, vegetables, dressings and fries.
The founder acknowledged that mistakes can happen and said customers who receive a burger below the company’s standards can request a replacement.
Wittrup also questioned the responsibility of food influencers when publicly criticising businesses. He noted that reviewers themselves operate commercially and benefit from growing their audiences.
His stated ambition remains to reach more customers without compromising the quality and culture on which Gasoline Grill was founded.
Hart Bakery faces similar questions
The criticism is not limited to burgers.
Haugsted also mentioned Hart Bakery, another prominent name in Copenhagen’s food scene.
When its first bakery opened on Gammel Kongevej in Frederiksberg, Haugsted considered it one of the city’s best. Since then, Hart has expanded to seven locations, according to TV 2 Kosmopol.
He still considers its products good, but believes they no longer match the standard of the original bakery.
TV 2 Kosmopol reported that Hart Bakery had not responded to its request for comment.
For Haugsted, the broader concern is the growing presence of restaurant groups and chains in Copenhagen, including businesses that began as distinctive independent concepts.
The disagreement highlights a familiar dilemma in the restaurant industry. Whether a successful food concept can expand while preserving the quality, character and experience that made it popular in the first place.
In Gasoline Grill’s case, Haugsted believes the balance has changed. Its founder insists that the standards remain the same.
