Upon hearing about your forum from a co-worker, my wife forwarded me a link to your forum discussing my new restaurant, Icon Burger. I would like to address some of the issues discussed in the postings and add clarity to some inaccurate information. Our delayed opening blew us away. We served over 300 burgers and hot dogs in four hours and have exceeded that number the two days since. Though Icon Burger had some great press releases, with no advertising and an “off the beaten path” location we anticipated a slow first couple of weeks. Well, we were wrong. On Monday at 11:00 a.m., dozens of customers were waiting outside. And they kept coming. The overwhelming numbers combined with a constantly crashing point of sale system (the same equipment that delayed our opening) and an unprepared staff left us with more than a few disappointed customers. I’m really embarrassed by the errors we made, but feedback from all our returning customers has been very positive. I’m not sure how many Egullet members are business owners, more specifically, restaurant owners but those who are must relate to the idiom, “the best laid plans of mice and men go oft astray.” I am sure that our systems, service, and product will continue to improve and if given a second chance by customers with rational expectations Icon Burger will blow them away. Opening day aside, I would now like to discuss the concept of Icon Burger, and at the same time, address some of the comments in the postings. Icon Burger is not a full service restaurant like Max Burger Works ($7.25-$10.50 per burger & fries), and it is definitely not a fast food restaurant like Good Times ($2.99 – $3.99). It is a quick casual restaurant, which is a concept somewhere in between those two concepts ($5.99 - $7.49). Operationally, a customer places their order at the front counter, gets their beverages and the food is brought out to them. When they’re finished, they get up and leave. Their table will be bussed and no gratuities are accepted. Unlike Max Burger Works, which is a great gourmet burger restaurant, your dining experience is shorter and definitely cheaper. A customer doesn’t wait for the wait staff (pun intended) to place an order. No raising your hand to ask for the check. No waiting for the wait staff (pun again intended) to pick up your payment. And then the final wait for your change or credit card slip. We have all experienced that 5-20 minute process. Time is money to most of us. And since I’m on the topic of money (which seems to be a hot topic in these forums), as stated above, Icon Burger doesn’t accept gratuities. An average restaurant customer tips between 15-20%. That’s a pretty big savings even for the customer who counts pennies, and we’ve all been to lunch or dinner with that guy (gotta hunch he’s in this forum if he thinks dinner at Icon Burger is expensive). You know the guy who verifies that everything on the check is right. Then breaks out the credit card sized tip chart card in his wallet to calculate a 10% tip on the pre-sales tax price of his meal. Making sure never to over tip his server, he then takes out his green, rubber, slotted change holder every grandfather once owned to nail the exact amount the “Tip-Chart Guru” stated. Okay, I’m beginning to rant. So let me cut to the chase on some food issues discussed in your postings. Our burgers are definitely not thin and in no way do we compare to Good Times. Our burgers are 1/3 pound of certified all natural chuck. It would take at least two burgers at Good Times to get the amount of beef in our patties. Speaking of beef, many burger restaurants now use all natural beef. Icon Burger is the only restaurant in the area that I know of using all natural chuck. Here’s a simple definition for the term “beef”: originates from cattle. I doubt your members really want to know what’s in some of the patties they enjoy at their favorite burger joints. If it’s not guaranteed muscle tissue (like chuck or round) you might be eating cow lips. Diner‘s beware! As for us not using fresh potato fries, we don’t. We use Grade A, long cut frozen fries found in traditional diners. I agree that fresh cut fries taste great…one minute after they’re fried. They then turn limp as a wet noodle. We expect a large percentage of our orders to be take out, so we wanted a fry that could stay fairly crisp for an extended period. Bacon and grilled onions are also available. Guacamole, hummus, sprouts, portabella mushroom, and other “gourmet” products are not. Our menu is blue collar-friendly, simple and only 12 items. But on those 12 items you’ll find 4x4 tomatoes (similar to the size of the tomatoes served at Mortons), white onions (pricier then red or yellow onions), leaf lettuce (not romaine), real pickles (not boiled), 96 count American Cheese (thick like In-n-Out), and a fresh baked and toasted egg bun (not the kind that crumbles). Regarding how we cook our burgers - yes they come medium-well to well. New health code requires an internal temperature of ground beef to be at least 150 degrees, unless the customer demands a different temperature. The reasons should be obvious…E-coli. Research it yourself; steaks and ground beef are not the same when it comes to bacteria. Still, our burgers are made fresh on a grill (not in “holding” pans like many fast food restaurants) to seal in the juices. I truly believe that an Icon Burger is the best in the area for the money. Your members seem like a tough crowd, but I think they’ll like what Icon has to offer. Lance Perryman Managing Partner, Icon Burger LLC P.S. We’ve got $1.99 PBR pints. Try getting that at Max Burger Works or Good Times…
