Melbourne Businessman Hash Tayeh Steps Down as CEO of Burgertory and QSR Collective

Fast-food chain boss Hash Tayeh has quit as CEO of Burgertory, less than a month after being hit with a $1 million tax bill for debts allegedly run up by 12 companies. The tax office claims the companies did not pay their tax and superannuation contributions in full at various times while Mr Tayeh was a director.

In separate legal proceedings, the Melbourne businessman, who is of Palestinian heritage, is fighting charges of using insulting words in public, after allegedly stating 'all Zionists are terrorists' at a rally in Melbourne last year. He told the ABC last month the charges were 'baseless'.

On Wednesday night, Mr Tayeh announced on Instagram that he was resigning as CEO of both Burgertory and food and beverage company QSR Collective. 'The decision hasn't come lightly, but it comes with complete conviction.'

In a long post, Mr Tayeh wrote: '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. While I will never apologise for my activism or my voice, I cannot allow these attacks to become collateral damage for the people who've helped build this empire, the franchisees, the staff, the investors, the suppliers.'

Speaking to the ABC last month, Mr Tayeh accused the tax office of 'harassment', and said most of the companies in question were owned and directed by other people who were Burgertory licensees. 'This is not a tax issue — it's a campaign of targeted harassment against me,' he said at the time.

In November 2023, Mr Tayeh said he had moved his wife and young child into a safe house after receiving a death threat via social media. The threat came shortly after the Caulfield North store of his fast-food chain was firebombed, he said.

Mr Tayeh founded Burgertory in 2018, and said on Wednesday that its growth was not slowing down, but instead ramping up. 'Last week we opened our Greensborough store, our Philippines flagship launches in November, and we've got multiple new sites rolling out across New South Wales,' he wrote on Instagram.

'This isn't the end of Burgertory or QSR Collective. It's the beginning of new chapters, new leadership, new energy and new horizons.' Mr Tayeh said he would now focus his energy 'on mentoring and consulting entrepreneurs who want to build powerful, purpose-led businesses, without compromise'. '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.'