Thinking of Buying a Fast-Casual Franchise? Read this report first.

Ones to Watch | By Sabrina Davis

New York Burger Co.

The top-selling specialty burger is the Chicago Burger (applewood smoked bacon, cheddar, and homemade 1,000 Island dressing). There also is a Seattle Burger (Portobello mushrooms, fire-grilled onions, and homemade New York burger sauce) and a Dallas Burger (fire-grilled mushrooms, Monterey Jack cheese, and homemade barbecue sauce). Poley plans to introduce other burgers for franchise owners to reflect regional tastes. New York Burger also serves free-range chicken sandwiches, all-natural turkey burgers, and a Mediterranean veggie burger. Eight specialty salads with homemade dressings are offered, and the line of smoothies is made with real fruit and fat-free ice cream.

The chili pepper ketchup, chipotle honey, and other sauces are freshly made from Poley’s recipes and available at the popular condiment bar. Poley also created chilis (flatiron natural beef, turkey and black bean, and chicken and sausage) that come with a choice of toppings and cornbread. Poley plans to package the sauces and chilis for retail sale.

Specialty burgers and chilies range from $7 to $8; salads from $8 to $10. The average check is $10, and New York Burger is serving 400 to 500 customers daily between 10:30 a.m. and 11 p.m.

Success led Poley and Zisimatos to open a second location in August 2006 on Sixth Avenue, close by but with a strong residential and weekend customer base. The partners expect to begin offering franchises this summer.

New York Burger Co.
President: Spiros Zisimatos
HQ: New York City
Year Started: 2004
Annual Sales: Not disclosed
Total Units: 2
Franchise Units: 0
Why it bears watching: After years as a restaurant consultant, Madeline Poley believes in the value of seeking expert advice and is doing so planning franchise sales. Leading the team is renowned franchise consultant Michael Seid, co-author with Dave Thomas of Franchising for Dummies. Seid expects to see more than 200 New York Burger locations open in the next few years. Poley expects to have 500 to 600 open in 10 years.
“I was never interested in opening just one nice upscale quick-serve burger place,” Poley says. “I want to be cautious about growth, though. We’re getting a lot of inquiries from different parts of the country, but we have to radiate out from New York.” Poley plans to grow into Long Island, New Jersey, Philadelphia, and Connecticut before moving outward. She already is planning for distribution of the proprietary sauces, dressings, and chilis.
“The future is bright,” Poley says. “The consultants feel the same way—that the timing is right and it hits the major buttons with consumers. Burgers are the No. 1 American comfort food, and natural and organic is the fastest growing segment of the food industry.”
Page 1 | 2 | End