Lane Cardwell

What is it about the simple hamburger that has our industry on fire to present the dining public with more and more concept options for this product?  Apparently restaurateurs have long been tuned in to the fact that the words diet, low fat, low cholesterol and heart healthy exist in a parallel universe to the primal need for a great hamburger.

 

Have you been to a Five Guys yet, or watched in fascination as they have quickly reached the 200+ unit count?  I am told that this heavily franchised concept is practically out of territory in the U.S. for hopeful franchisees.  What's the appeal?  Time travel for much less than a $10 bill. Buy a hand pattied, fresh burger, some fresh cut fries cooked in peanut oil, and a soft drink, and you are back in the 60's with all of the memories of what these products tasted like when they used to make you smile as you ate them.

 

The Counter, a California cult favorite, has reached the Dallas suburbs with its "tell us how you want us to make it for you with our 61 options" approach to building a burger.  Dallasite Rich Hicks, with Tin Star in his background, has opened Mooyah, his entry into the burger races and has hopes of being the next Five Guys.

 

Greg Cutchall, franchisee extraordinaire, has just opened Burger Star in Omaha with a format that takes Five Guys to the next level and capitalizes on the appeal of The Counter with its customer customized approach to the burger.

 

And, oh my gosh, Bobby Flay soon will be opening Bobby's Burger Palace  just outside New York City with a quick casual format.  Danny Meyer, also of New York fame, has been crowding the streets of New York with long lines for a few years now at Shake Shack, serving a truly craveable burger with his counter service concept.  Formerly open only seasonally, the demand for a great burger has resulted in it now being open year round.  I expect the James Beard Foundation will be presenting "Best Burger" awards anytime now.

 

Phil Romano, with his roots in Fuddrucker's, and who later developed Romano's Macaroni Grill, Spageddie's, Cozymel's, Rudy's BBQ, Eatzi's, Nick & Sam's Steakhouse, and many other concepts, has had Who's Who Burgers in Dallas for several years now.  Why?  Because he wanted a place to go when he wanted a great tasting burger, and assumed that there were others like him.  And there are.

 

I believe that when it comes to making a truly great burger, a quote from Malcolm Knapp is appropriate.  "The restaurant business is simple.  Simple is hard." 

 

Go forth and prosper.

 

 

Industries: Expansion, Marketing, Menu Development