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1851 Growth Club
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Burger Taste Test
Thinking of investing in a burger franchise? The 1851 Franchise staff tasted some of the country’s top burgers to guide your decision.
The concept of fast food has to tip its cap to the burger. These juicy sandwiches have been a staple for quick service restaurants since the 1920s. And for the past 90 decades, this classic item has helped sustain the success of hundreds of franchises—the burger industry alone brings in $100 billion in revenue each year.
Today, consumers are eating burgers in records numbers. In 2014, Americans ate 9 billion burgers. According to Franchise Help, 91 percent of Americans said they will have a hamburger at least once a month, and 44 percent would have a burger once a week.
But with so many different restaurants on the market dishing up this beloved American staple, it may be tough to determine which burger trumps the other. The staff of 1851 Franchise is here to help consumers and prospective franchisees solve that conundrum. Our hungry staff of burger aficionados tasted some of the best ones the franchising world has to offer. Meat was consumed, toppings were analyzed and we spent a lot of time deciding if we wanted to splurge on a side of fries. After much deliberation, we decided upon the best burger franchises.
We judged the burgers on a handful of criteria, such as the quality of their meat, toppings, and bread. To protect you against the impending disaster of a burger-tomato-ketchup tectonic shift, we also had to make sure the burgers stayed intact after one bite. We wanted a controlled test, so we went with each franchise’s standard cheeseburger offering; no gimmicks needed here. Our belly sizes may have grown during this delectable taste test, but we did this to help you, the readers!
Here is our analysis:
Headquarters: Plano, Texas
Year it began franchising: 2007
Number of stores: 92 Worldwide
Total Investment: $383,350 to $593,300
MOOYAH Burgers, Fries & Shakes* is looking to stand out from the pack. That’s why, the “better burger” franchise offers lighter options, including black bean veggie burgers, unique toppings and their own in-house baked bread.
For this tasting, we went with their MOOYAH Style option—their standard burger. With a great sear and the perfect crust to juiciness ratio, their classic burger was far from ordinary. We went with the topping regiment of American cheese, tomatoes, lettuce, pickles, grilled onions and MOOYAH sauce, and each topping had a crisp bite to them. Some lettuce can be hit or miss depending on its freshness, and MOOYAH did not disappoint—you could hear the crunch as you sank your teeth into each bite. One of the brand’s claims to fame is their house-baked bread. One tester was mesmerized by this process saying, “seeing the buns being baked behind the cash register was a cool touch. We knew we were in for some good buns right away.”
Overall, MOOYAH stood out as one of the best fast casual burger tastings and we give them extra points for their perfectly baked in-house bread.
Headquarters: Lorton, Virginia
Year it began franchising: 2003
Number of stores: 1,000+
Total Investment: $152,000 to $360,000
Five Guys Burgers and Fries is one of the largest fast casual burger franchises on the market. The brand’s menu is no-frills, offering standard hamburgers and cheeseburgers, with the luxury of adding bacon to each. The brand has been successfully delivering quality burgers and fries since it opened up shop in 1986.
Five Guys keeps their burgers pretty simple; a patty, a bun and classic toppings. The most exotic topping you will see on a burger may be relish and hot sauce. But don’t let that deter you—Five Guys’ charm is in its minimalism. For our taste test, we went with the double patty cheeseburger with lettuce, tomato, pickles, ketchup and mustard. After taking the first bite, our testers could taste the cheese right off the bat. The brand perfectly melts the cheese to give the perfect consistency—we’d say it’s somewhere between “right out of the fridge” and “gooey nacho cheese.” As a two patty burger with a mountain of toppings, we took no shame in having to grab onto it with two hands, and we’re happy to report that the burger and the soft, delicious sesame seed bun stayed intact.
Overall, we felt Five Guys mastered the art of modernizing the old diner-style burger.
Headquarters: Minneapolis, Minnesota
Year it began franchising: 1940
Number of stores: 6,700 Worldwide
Total Investment: $779,675 to $1.7 million
For most consumers, they may not associate burgers with Dairy Queen. A flavorful Blizzard may come to mind first, but Dairy Queen has reinvented themselves as an all-encompassing restaurant thanks to its Grill and Chill menu. The ice cream magnate has come a long way since it was founded in 1940, and today, artisan-style sandwiches, chicken strips and hamburgers are all now iconic parts of the brand’s delectable menu.
Of the Grill and Chill menu, we decided to taste their standard cheeseburger. Condiments remained simple with lettuce, tomato, pickle, cheese and ketchup, with the vegetables in particular tasting extremely fresh. The crux of a good burger is the patty and bun combination. A stale bun and rubbery patty can be a disappointment for a hungry consumer, but we were happy to report those two components passed with flying colors. According to one of our testers, the bun in particular was a standout, as it was “nice and fluffy, and had a refreshing taste to it.”
Overall, we have to give a huge two thumbs up to the brand’s Grill and Chill menu. The staff was incredibly helpful in navigating us through the menu, and we are looking forward to going back to try other items as well.
Headquarters: Denver, Colorado
Year it began franchising: 2008
Number of stores: 150
Total Investment: $330,250 to $787,250
From the beginning, Smashburger has been known for their new spin on classic flavors. Their menu is packed with interesting options, including the Truffle Mushroom Swiss Burger and its Chicago-inspired Wind City Burger, which comes with haystack onions and spicy mustard. The brand has also tweaked its expansion methods over the years by opening in non-traditional locations, such as airports. We stopped by the local Chicago chain to see if the hype was real.
Our Second City bias may have swayed us to the Windy City Burger, but we went with the brand’s Classic Smash Burger for this taste test. The mountain of fresh toppings included lettuce, onions, tomatoes, pickles, cheese and the usual condiment spread of ketchup and mustard. While the toppings were a colorful focal point of the burger, what stood out were the perfectly seared patties. Many eaters seem to want the biggest patties possible, but bigger does not always equal better. Smashburger’s thinner patties were a refreshing highlight of the burger. It’s also good to know their patties are fresh and, as the restaurant name implies, they are smashed to cultivate as much juiciness as possible.
With a perfectly toasted bun, evenly seared patty and a cavalcade of fresh toppings, Smashburger was a standout burger.
*This brand is a paid partner of 1851 Franchise. For more information on paid partnerships please click here.
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