<!-- Do not use the "dated prod" template directly; the above line is generated by "subst:prod|reason" --> {{short description|Defunct Argentine restaurant franchise (1974–1999)}} {{Infobox company | name = Pumper Nic Fast Food Restaurants Inc./Pumper Fast Food Restaurants Inc. | logo = Archivo durante 111.jpg | logo_caption = Final logo, used until 1999 | type = | fate = Chapter 7 bankruptcy and liquidation, last location still operating at the Moreno Shopping Center in Buenos Aires, Argentina | successor = | founded = {{Start date and age|1974|1|17}} | founder = Alfredo Lowenstein | defunct = 1999 | location = Buenos Aires, Argentina | industry = Restaurant | products = {{ubli|Hamburgers|French fries|Soft drinks}} | key_people = | num_employees = | parent = | subsidiaries = }} '''Pumper Nic''' (shortened to '''Pumper''' after 1989) was a popular chain of fast-food restaurants in Argentina that existed in the 1970s and 1980s. It is currently considered by many Argentines to be a cult classic. Its name is derived from the German pumpernickel, a type of bread. [[File:Pumper Nic Old Logo.jpg|thumb|Pumper Nic's old Burger King–like logo|200px]]
==History== thumb|Disposable cup used in Pumper Pumper Nic was created by Alfredo Lowenstein in 1974, also an ex-owner of Quickfood, parent company of the renowned Argentine beef hamburger supplier ''Paty'' – which was in turn founded by his brother Ernesto – and the Las Leñas tourist complex. In 1975 the company became Argentina's first franchise and quickly expanded throughout the country, reaching a total of 70 restaurants and an annual revenue of 60 million dollars.<ref name="comió">{{cite news |url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/76765-a-pumper-nic-se-la-comio-la-globalizacion |title=A Pumper Nic se la comió la globalización |newspaper=La Nación |date=14 September 1997 |language=es}}</ref><ref name="taste">{{cite news |url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/211865-el-sabor-de-la-hamburguesa-br-rapidos-para-los-mandados |title=El sabor de la hamburguesa, rápidos para los mandados |newspaper=La Nación |date=21 February 1999 |language=es}}</ref> The chain's rapid growth made it extremely difficult for its headquarters in Buenos Aires to keep a grip on the franchisees. A combination of poor management and a lack of standardization caused food quality to vary greatly between the restaurants.<ref name="comió" />
Pumper Nic's logo was based upon Burger King's, before the latter began operating in Argentina. When McDonald's and Burger King opened their first venues in the country in 1986 and 1989 respectively, Pumper Nic was forced to change its logo and have its name shortened to ''Pumper'' due to a lawsuit by Burger King.<ref name="comió" />
Lowenstein handed over Pumper Nic in 1990 to his sons Diego and Paula, who had little interest in running the business. The family sold the chain in 1995 and started from scratch by associating themselves with Wendy's, which had just opened its first restaurant in the country. Furthermore, the franchise system collapsed in its entirety the following year.<ref name="comió" /> Pumper Nic's new owners, real estate agents Goldstein and Rosenbaum, were unable to relaunch the company.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/130972-pumper-nic-una-cadena-a-punto-de-desaparecer |title=Pumper Nic, una cadena a punto de desaparecer |newspaper=La Nación |date=13 March 1999 |language=es}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url=http://www.lanacion.com.ar/130972-pumper-nic-una-cadena-a-punto-de-desaparecer | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110607031946/http://www.lanacion.com.ar/130972-pumper-nic-una-cadena-a-punto-de-desaparecer | archive-date=2011-06-07 | title=Pumper Nic, una cadena a punto de desaparecer | date=13 March 1999 }}</ref> Unable to compete with larger American fast-food chains, Pumper Nic finally declared bankruptcy in early 1999.
The last Pumper Nic restaurant is still operating at the Moreno shopping center in Buenos Aires.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.vivieloeste.com.ar/moreno/moreno-el-pumper-nic-que-continua-abierto-n47914 | title=Un viaje en el tiempo: El Pumper Nic que continúa abierto en el shopping de Moreno | date=11 February 2022 }}</ref>
==Products== thumb|right|''Nic'' the Hippo, the franchise's mascot Pumper Nic's signature sandwich was the ''Mobur'', a sandwich with an egg in between. One of their famous menu items was {{lang|es|Dos por uno}} − two burgers for the price of one. French fries were called ''Frenys''.<ref name="taste" /> Names of other Pumper Nic sandwiches include: Jaque ({{lang|es|jamon y queso}}, ham and cheese) and Jaque'H.
==Slogans== Their most famous tagline was "Pumper Nic, the new way of dining" ({{langx|es|La nueva forma de comer}}).
==See also== * List of fast-food restaurants * List of defunct fast-food restaurant chains
==References== {{reflist}}
Category:Food and drink companies established in 1974 Category:Food and drink companies disestablished in 1999 Category:1974 establishments in Argentina Category:1999 disestablishments in Argentina Category:Defunct fast-food chains Category:Defunct restaurants in Argentina Category:Fast-food chains of Argentina Category:Fast-food franchises Category:Food and drink companies based in Buenos Aires