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A truly great burger is something people don’t forget. Of course, the challenge for a restaurant is that your customers can get a burger practically anywhere. They’re ubiquitous, and customers have expectations. So how do you create a burger that stands out in a crowded market?
Chef Alvin Cailan has managed this difficult feat. A classically trained chef, Alvin became known as a burger connoisseur as a host of “The Burger Show” on the First We Feast YouTube channel. In 2020 he opened Amboy, which has appeared on multiple lists of the world’s best burgers. Amboy will soon open its fourth location.
We spoke with Chef Alvin about what it takes to make delicious burgers and run a successful burger business.
Meet the Visionary
Alvin Cailan, founder/chef of Amboy and Eggslut
Past experience: French Laundry, Bouchon, Olympia Provisions, Castagna
Recognition: StarChefs Rising Star, Best of Los Angeles Award, cohost of “The Burger Show”
A grassroots burger project
I started Amboy purely to create a provisional store for my community during COVID. We were selling things like meat, eggs, toilet paper, and water during quarantine. People who watched “The Burger Show” started asking me to make burger kits they could take home. Once we reopened after quarantine, people told me, “Alvin, I’m tired of ruining these burgers at home. Can you just make a hot burger here?” So we started making burgers, and soon the LA Times wrote about us. Four years later, we’re a full-blown burger restaurant going on four locations.
The perfect burger
To me, the perfect burger comes down to bun, meat, and cheese. You have to have a really good bun that’s not dried out and crackly. The beef has to be fresh, never frozen. Frozen patties are a little tougher. Sometimes they don’t even taste like beef because they’ve been frozen and processed. A burger should melt in your mouth, almost fall apart, once you bite into it. Finally, the cheese. We can argue for hours about which cheese is best on a burger. I don’t discriminate too much, but the cheese definitely shapes your experience, for good or bad.
How to stand out in a crowded market
Our commitment to quality makes an Amboy burger a unique experience. I use techniques I learned in culinary school and from working in fine-dining restaurants. I’ve traveled the world and immersed myself in burger culture, eating at revered institutions as well as brand-new pop-ups. And I make sure we source the finest ingredients. Not a lot of other places grind their own beef like we do. I’ve had a relationship with certified Angus beef for 10 years. I go to Ohio and meet with the ranchers. Our buns are craft-made. I’ve been working with the same baker for the past 13 years.
Managing pricing and profitability
We don’t compromise on the quality of our food. That means we have to be extra careful in our ordering, our menu selection, and our pricing, especially as food costs have soared. Every week we study which menu items have sold well and which haven’t. That doesn’t tell us just how much beef and cheese and buns we need to order. It also lets us adjust the menu if necessary. And it allows us to set pricing. We never change prices across the board; we go item by item across the menu. Some menu items might be loss leaders.
Consistency is crucial
Consistency will make or break your business. Obviously the consistency and quality of the food are essential. The moment your food starts to fall off, your restaurant is in trouble. But consistency matters in customer service, the appearance of your restaurant, your operations, and everything else. And showing up every single day is the biggest part of what makes a consistent and successful chef.
Investing in your employees is investing in your business’ success
I don’t hire cooks; I hire chefs. That’s one way to ensure consistency and quality. But it also helps eliminate waste, which has been crucial as beef prices have risen in recent years. Even beyond the chefs, I invest in my team a lot. I want them to come to work happy every day and to take ownership. All my employees start above minimum wage. I also do profit sharing with my managers so that they’re invested in the restaurant. Investing in employees means investing in the right equipment, too. That includes kitchen equipment like a temperature-controlled machine for preparing the onions so someone isn’t sweating over a pot for eight hours. It also includes a service like Square, which makes point of sale and analytics and everything else so much easier to operate and understand. Taking care of employees and getting your operations right will translate into high-quality food and a great customer experience. It’s an investment that pays huge dividends for everyone.
