The Hamdog may soon be sold at a place near you. According to WA Auctioneers, the Hamdog creator, Aussie Mark Murray, is selling his U.S. Patent and Trademark rights for what is described as “the world’s most talked about burger.” A public on-line only auction will be hosted by WA Auctioneers on September 30, 2016.
What is a Hamdog you ask? It is a sandwich that combines a hot dog and a hamburger patty. Mark Murray’s Hamdog has a specially shaped bun that holds a combination of a hot dog and a hamburger patty. In 2004, Murray conceived the idea of the meat-filled combination while vacationing in the U.S. He explained that one night he was extremely hungry, and in a rush, he ate a hot dog and hamburger at the same time.
After he returned to Australia, he developed the idea further; he cut a burger in half and placed the hot dog between the two halves. Murray designed and patented his signature bun which is shaped to hold a hot dog and a hamburger. On January 13, 2009, he was granted a patent for COMBINATION HAMBURGER AND HOTDOG BREAD BUN, (United States Design Patent No. D584478).
In 2015, Mark Murray pitched his idea to Australia’s Shark Tank television investment show. He described it as a “party in your mouth”. The judges rejected his idea, but that did not stop him. He has been selling the Hamdog at fairs, markets, and sporting events. He sees the United States as a good market place with “around 50 billion” hamburgers consumed each year. Murray is looking for someone in the U.S. interested in buying the rights to sell Hamdogs in the United States and with the recent International attention he has received, he is hoping someone will take a bite at the opportunity.