Burgertory owner Hash Tayeh steps down as CEO

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Fast-food chain boss Hash Tayeh has resigned as CEO of Burgertory, months after police launched an investigation into an alleged bomb threat made to one of his restaurants.

In an Instagram post on Wednesday night, Tayeh said the decision to step down as CEO of Burgertory and food and beverage company QSR Collective was not made lightly.

Businessman and pro-Palestinian activist Hash Tayeh, of the Burgertory chain, at a protest in Melbourne last year.

“The reality is, I’ve been subjected to targeted attacks, politically motivated smears, and ongoing harassment, not because of any wrongdoing, but because I’ve dared to speak out against injustice,” Tayeh wrote.

In April this year, police launched an investigation into an alleged threat by a defence contractor to bomb one of Tayeh’s Burgertory outlets.

The threat to “park a couple of b0mb$” outside the hamburger restaurant in Tullamarine was allegedly made on LinkedIn and posted under the profile of army veteran-turned-defence industry expert Guy Langford.

In two separate incidents in 2023 and 2024, Tayeh’s home and the now-closed Caulfield Burgertory outlet were firebombed.

Following the incidents, The Age revealed the alleged arsonist accused of firebombing the Burgertory restaurant told covert police officers the attack was linked to the conflict in the Middle East, contradicting authorities’ repeated claims there was no racial, religious or political motive.

Tayeh has been a prominent figure in Melbourne’s pro-Palestine movement, protesting Israel’s 20-month war on Gaza.

In March, Tayeh became the first person in Australia to be charged by police with using insulting words in public for chanting “all Zionists are terrorists” at a pro-Palestine rally in the CBD last year.

Tayeh said the decision to give up his role as CEO was made out of “love and responsibility”.

“To shield others from being caught in the crossfire, and to protect the livelihoods of every stakeholder who deserve to thrive without being dragged into a fight that isn’t theirs,” he wrote.

The fast-food chain owner said he would turn his attention to mentoring and consulting entrepreneurs looking to build “powerful purpose-led businesses”.

“And equally, I’ll be giving full attention to fighting the legal battle I’ve been forced into for daring to speak truth in a so-called democratic nation,” he wrote.

“My prosecution is not just unjust, it’s a warning sign for anyone who refuses to stay silent.”

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