The burger: It's pretty brave of Kaskaid Hospitality to launch its cheery Burger Burger at the Mall of America. After all, one of the nation's biggest names in quick-service burgers, Shake Shack, is opening its first Minnesota outpost at the mall later this year.
Kaskaid leader Kam Talebi remains undaunted. "How many places are there to buy jeans at the mall?" he said. "That doesn't keep Old Navy away. We knew about Shake Shack. They're in the new development at the mall, it's completely different from where we're located, it's practically a different ZIP Code, that's how far away they are from us. We're happy where we are."
A counter-service burger joint is a departure from the company's offerings, which includes 10 Crave locations in six states. Why enter the highly competitive burger market?
"As true hospitality entrepreneurs, we want to expand on the horizon of culinary experiences that we provide," said Talebi. "We're infatuated by the fast-casual world, it's not a market that we were in. And given the nature of the burger market and where it's going, well, honestly, we wanted a piece of it."
Kaskaid also operates Union in Minneapolis, the just-opened Avenida Cocina & Bar in Minnetonka. Oh, and Zio Cucina & Bar, an Italian concept that's located next door to Burger Burger on the mall's third level. The two restaurants share the same kitchen.
Burger Burger sets itself apart from the Smashburgers and Five Guys of the world with a few key components. First: Booze. "We wanted to add an adult component to the burger experience," said Talebi, and he does. There's a full bar, a dozen-plus beers on tap and a host of alcohol-fueled ice cream shakes.
Second: Emphasizing what Talebi says is "a serious commitment to the actual quality of the burger itself."
That means utilizing top-quality beef, sourced from an environmentally conscious Olivia, Minn., farm, a hormone- and antibiotic-free blend of short rib, brisket and chuck that's ground fresh daily on the premises ("We spent about six months testing different coarse grinds, and combinations," said Burger Burger executive chef Dave Schultz). Don't take my word for it, confirm for yourself: the restaurant puts the production process right out there, strategically placing it at the front entrance inside a theatrical, amusingly gimmicky facility that's grabbing all kinds of shoppers' attention. How many shopping malls sport a Burberry, an Apple store, a roller coaster and a window into a watch-them-work meat counter? That's it, below, a closet-sized room lined in gleaming stainless steel.
