Last week we told you that Pizza generates $40 billion in sales revenue in the United States each year. What if we told you there was something that generated even more revenue than Pizza? There is actually one thing that American’s love even more than pizza: Burgers. Okay, that shouldn’t really come as a surprise to anyone who read the title of this blog entry… but still. Every year burgers generate $100 Billion in revenue in the United States, and that’s an impressive amount of cash. In fact, the U.S. restaurant industry generated $683 billion in 2014, meaning that burgers alone accounted for nearly 15% of all restaurant revenue in 2014.
Everyone may know that Americans love a good burger, but did you know that the biggest trend right now is higher quality meat and specialty toppings? That’s right, American’s have tired of the simplicity offered by America’s fast food staples and have come to long for something a little more complex than your classic cheeseburger. Just look at the menus of those same Fast Food restaurants that started the burger craze to see the proof. McDonalds, Burger King and Wendy’s are all offering more complex ingredients and toppings because that’s what American’s are demanding. 75% of burger-lovers list quality meat as the first or second most important attribute for a good burger, and 42% list toppings as number one or two. Much like Pizza, more American’s are looking for higher quality ingredients in their burgers. Specialty burgers are now the largest segment of burger sales at 29.1% and independent burger restaurants are taking advantage of that growth. In 2013 alone, the number of independent burger restaurants grew by 7.2%. So if you’re a restaurant owner, and you want to get in on the massive burger market in the United States, your best option is to try to rise above the glut of fast food options and offer your customers are burger worth writing home about.
But, much like pizza, there’s more to a quality burger than just the ingredients. Like any good meal, presentation is key. If you dress your burgers for success, your customers will be willing to pay more for them, earning you extra revenue for a minimal increase in cost. For example, a burger can easily be served in a familiar cardboard or Styrofoam clamshell container and a customer might be willing to pay $2.99-$3.99 for a burger presented like that. Or you could serve the same burger on a Pack N Wood round Bamboo Leaf Plate, and provide the aesthetic appearance of a craft burger. Then your customers will be willing to pay $4.99 or $5.99 for the same burger and will think they’re getting a deal. That earns you $200 more revenue per case, and all because of the presentation. Just ask your PJP salesperson, and they’ll be able to help you present your burgers in the most cost effective way.
Since we showed you the world’s biggest pizza last week, it would hardly be fair for us to leave you this week without introducing you to the world’s largest cheeseburger. This sucker clocks in at 2,014 pounds and has a diameter of 10 feet. Don’t worry, they didn’t skimp on the toppings either. There are 60 pounds of bacon, 50 pounds of onions, 50 pounds of lettuce, 40 pounds of pickles and 40 pounds of cheese.
Drew GobrechtAs a marketing professional working for Penn Jersey Paper, I pride myself in my ability to create quality, fresh, and relevant digital content consistently. As we all know, in today's internet-based marketing world, quality content is king. I strive to always be enhancing the customer experience here at PJP by writing of relevant blog posts, posting informative social media updates, and composing detailed product descriptions. As someone who relishes the opportunity to be creative in my job, I find that I thoroughly enjoy this work. I am excited for the opportunity to continue to grow in my marketing career and am excited for what the future holds.