A giant canvas hangs in a building on Alcalá Street in central Madrid, serving as the debut image for a brand-new venture. This week marks the launch of a hamburger chain called El Salseo, which plans to expand to 29 stores across 24 Spanish cities, with orders available exclusively online. The project found momentum in Zaragoza, where local businesspeople from the meat and food sectors backed the initiative and supported a delivery-focused model that leans into aggressive marketing.
The venture opened with an initial investment of about 2 million euros, most of which came from a funding round that included cryptocurrency participation. A platform partner and YouTube creator helped attract 60 investors, lifting the company’s valuation beyond 8 million euros. Behind the project is a well-known Aragonese producer who makes fresh sausages and also acts as a supplier for the brand while operating as a local bread supplier. Their identities remain confidential for privacy reasons.
Hamburgers draw inspiration from dishes crafted by a chef with recent Michelin recognition in Zaragoza, celebrated for cooking with a focus on proximity and top-tier ingredients. The aim is to bring luxury experiences to a broader audience by pairing premium meat with swift delivery.
The brand’s leadership is spurred by Alvaro Mateo, the CEO, who oversees a team that includes two young Zaragoza natives: Sergio Otin, heading marketing, and Maria Sanchez, Operations Manager. They emphasize that El Salseo differs from competitors in both its branding and its product lineup, promising real, high-quality meat and rapid delivery times as distinctive strengths.
With engagement from Glovo, the company begins its expansion by directly challenging established players in the market. The initial advertising display in Madrid carries the message, “I understand your desire but I have mine,” a provocative nod to rival campaigns that appeared in recent months. Similar campaigns have previously spotlighted other brands in the sector.
Two Zaragoza locations—Casablanca and near Plaza Europa—mark the brand’s early footprint. Beyond Aragon’s capital, premium burgers are priced around 10 euros and are available to order across a broad geographic sweep, including Vigo, A Coruña, Gijón, Oviedo, Santander, Salamanca, León, Valladolid, Pamplona, Barcelona, Sabadell, L’Hospitalet, Badalona, Sant Cugat, Valencia, Alicante, Murcia, Móstoles, Madrid, Vitoria, Bilbao, Barakaldo, and San Sebastián. These outlets focus on the distribution and delivery network rather than open dine-in spaces.
The company maintains an ambitious expansion plan and aims to open additional outlets in southern Spain in the near future, targeting Seville, Córdoba, Granada, and Malaga. In this race, El Salseo seeks to outpace competitors by widening its footprint across cities far beyond what rivals currently cover.
El Salseo operates with a staff of around 45, including a nine-person commercial team based in Zaragoza. Food distribution is managed in collaboration with Glovo for the digital ordering channel.
The new concept of clean kitchens
El Salseo positions itself as an Aragonese startup pursuing a novel business model that relies on research and development in white kitchen or clean kitchen environments. These spaces avoid the typical ghost kitchen controversies that have stirred discussions in Barcelona and Madrid, where noisy couriers sometimes park outside workplaces for minutes on end.
The company explains that their food is sourced from local producers, prepared in controlled facilities, and then processed through standardized procedures. Finished products are packed in protective atmospheres to preserve freshness without preservatives or added additives. The meals are distributed from kitchens to designated distribution points in buildings, enabling delivery without creating smoke or odors inside neighborhoods.
El Salseo describes the development as a fifth interval category, emphasizing products that reduce traditional preservatives in the food chain and pursue lower waste, minimal contamination, and precise cooking processes. The approach is framed as a cleaner, more efficient, and more sustainable model that improves the overall operation of the business.