Have you ever wondered how much work — or meat — goes into running a successful burger joint? We asked some of the busier burger-slingers around town to crunch some numbers and reveal just how much goes into a day-long operation. Next up, representin' cart life, we have N. Mississippi's Burgatroyd.
Image of Burgatroyd courtesy GoodStuffNW
When buzz started building for Kevin Sandri's hamburger at his otherwise Italian-inspired cart Garden State, Sandri saw his sales lean 75% toward the burger. Enter the spin-off cart Burgatroyd, which takes Sandri's quality patty and allows guests to add on whatever toppings their heart desires.
"All toppings are made in-house," Sandri says. "I mean everything but the ketchup, mustard, and egg — though we're experimenting with mustard." The brioche kaiser-like buns are sourced from the Fleur de Lis Bakery, and the Highland Oak beef is "110% moreganic, pasture-finished beef," Sandri says.
Sweet cheesus: Burgatroyd goes through Sandri proudly claims that he can bench-press "maybe 20 wheels of provolone piccante" a day. In terms of cheeseburger topping supremacy, "Most people order cheddar if left to their own imagination," Sandri says, "but whatever we put on our weekly specials seems to out-sell the others."
Most popular veggie add-on: "I'm surprised that we sell 15-20 lbs. of avocado per week," Sandri says. "I personally don't like avocado."
Aoili by the quart: In terms of making toppings like the aioli and relish, Sandri says the batches are smaller than you'd think. "I've made my last batch of sunchoke relish for the season, and the calabrian chili aioli I make about a quart every two or three days."
Pork-curing poundage: For the optional pancetta add-on, Sandri cures "one-half belly at a time, 10 lbs., every other week."
And though Sandri doesn't want to "poke the PETA nest" by revealing his meat poundage, he does say that burger sales at Burgatroyd vs. Garden State have him grinding more meat: "[We're selling] many more burgers," Sandri says. "They're cheaper, there's more variety, and there is 'fries-with-that.'"
· Burgatroyd [Twitter]
· All Previous Burgers By the Numbers Coverage [Eater PDX]
