Burqa Fuel: Kiwi franchise invades Iraq

Burger Fuel's promotion campaign. Photo / Supplied

What the halal? Kiwi restaurant chain BurgerFuel is about to invade Iraq.

The war-stricken country is known more for its burqas than its burgers, but that's not stopping the franchise from opening a store in Iraq's northern region.

BurgerFuel Worldwide chief executive Josef Roberts said unlike the US-led invasion, this one was "a little less dependent on ammunition".

He said, "They went in all guns blazing. We're going in a little quieter."

The territorial rights have been sold to an Iraqi consortium, which will open a store in the Kurdish city of Sulaymaniyah in the next four to five months.

If BurgerFuel followed the United States' lead, Afghanistan would be another target - a move Roberts did not rule out. "If we could get the protection from Obama and the boys maybe we could get into the war zone and feed the boys."

The menu used in Iraq will be similar to that used in New Zealand, except pork is definitely off the menu.

BurgerFuel already has sites in Dubai, Bahrain and Saudi Arabia. Roberts said being a New Zealand company in the Middle East - rather than American - worked in the chain's favour.

But a New Zealand umbrella Muslim group thinks otherwise.

"I think it's certainly not a very culturally sensitive way of promoting products in that part of the world," said Dr Anwar Ghani, president of the Federation of Islamic Associations of New Zealand.

He criticised as "not appropriate" the image and headline used in BurgerFuel's marketing: "BurgerFuel to invade Iraq". Ghani said FIANZ would be happy to advise companies on culturally and religiously-sensitive promotions.