Why Your Restaurant Should Consider Upgrading To A Premium Burger

If money wasn’t an object, would you prefer to drive an economy car or would rather be behind the wheel of a BMW 7 Series?

Don’t lie: The future of luxury is here and you would like to be a part of it.

The same goes for Burgers. You could have one with a low-grade, frozen beef patty and a slice of processed cheese between two slices of white bread, or you could have a fresh 10 ounce hunk of Wagyu cooked to temperature with smoked gouda, jalapeno BBQ sauce, and caramelized onions, served on a buttered and toasted brioche.

Which one of those made you click off this blog and order lunch? While you’re sinking your teeth into that delicious Wagyu Burger, bite into this question: Why would a restaurant add a premium menu item to their menu?

Easy. People will pay for it. And if they are willing to pay for it, that means there is profit in it.

In fact, most premium items come at an incremental cost that does not outweigh the ability to turn a higher profit on the item. That chuck, brisket, or short rib patty might cost you $00.20-$00.50 more, but the menu price can be $1.00 – $4.00 higher on the menu. There is a perceived value in the item and people will be willing to pay for it.

The words “perceived value” makes it sound like it’s concocted in a lab (like that frozen Burger we spoke about earlier), which is misleading. The 7 Series is simply a better car and for those that have the money, they will pay for it. The same pretty much applies to Burgers too.

For example, if you are a steakhouse serving USDA Prime steaks, your menu could also feature a USDA Prime Burger. Only 4% of the cattle in the US grade at Prime—that’s a statement you can put right on the menu!

Or perhaps you are using an all-chuck Burger or chuck sirloin. Adding a chuck and steak tail blend Burger is basically like asking your customer: “Would you like this really good Burger, or would you like this Burger that really thinks it’s a steak?”

The engaged and excited customer is going to go for the upgrade.

Quality in a Burger shows itself in more than one way. Choosing fresh over frozen can be as big a difference to a customer as choosing to offer Hereford as well as Angus. To some of us, this is all just preference, but to others, it’s the magic moment that creates adoration. It’s all about how you position the Burger to your customers and how much your staff believes in and promotes the premium product.

Here are 3 premium upgrades to consider for your menu:

1. Using fresh ground beef instead of frozen.

2. Adding a special blend or Wagyu Burger next to your regular Burger.

• Example: Arooga’s “It’s Sooo Gouda” – All natural, fresh not frozen, grain fed, and hormone, steroid, and antibiotic free Wagyu Kobe burger topped with smoked gouda cheese, horseradish mayo, applewood smoked bacon, green leaf lettuce, juicy tomatoes, red onions, and sandwich cut pickles served on an all natural Brioche bun. Price $12.99

• Example: Max Burger’s “Fun Guy Burger” – 8 oz. American kobe, truffled mushroom spread, arugula, French onion aioli, crispy onion strings, au poivre dipping sauce, artisan roll. Price $16.95

 

The Fun Guy Burger from @maxburgerct in West Hartford, CT. American Kobe, truffled mushroom spread, arugula, French onion aioli, crispy onion strings, au proivre dipping sauce on an artisan roll. #CTEATS

A photo posted by Connecticut Eats Out (@cteatsout) on Feb 21, 2015 at 4:55pm PST

3. Offering a USDA Prime Chuck Burger. Only 2.9% of the cattle in the US grade at Prime. It’s makes for a very juicy and delicious Burger.

• • • Example: Abe & Louie’s “Abe’s Prime Cheeseburger” –  9 oz USDA Prime fresh ground beef, caramelized onions, cheddar cheese (aged 9-12 months). Price $16.00, $17.00 with bacon.

 

#bacon #cheeseburger #abeandlouies #delicious #nomnomnom #eat #travel #explore

A photo posted by Justin Vechayiem (@heisenbergjku) on Aug 6, 2015 at 9:29am PDT

Upgrading premium Burger to your menu is just one way to give the people what they want. If you’d like more insights on what customers are looking for and what’s trending in the world of Burgers, download our 2015 Burger Trend Report!