Fatburger Corp., based in California, says it specializes in giving its customers the experience of 'the genuine burger joints of the 1950s.'

While some restaurants change over time, Fatburger Corp. has instead chosen to stay true to its roots. Vice President of Marketing Elaine Patel says the company has committed itself to continuing the traditions of the “the genuine burger joints of the 1950s.”

Based in Santa Monica, Calif., Fatburger operates 82 restaurants in the United States and Canada, serving hamburgers and sandwiches.

Lovie Yancey founded Fatburger in 1952. Originally, Yancey made hamburgers in her kitchen and started the restaurant after she was encouraged to share them with others.

In 1990, the Fatburger Corp. purchased the company from Yancey. Today, the company has locations in California, Texas, Virginia, Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Louisiana, Georgia, Nevada, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Washington. Its locations in Canada include Vancouver, British Columbia, and Langley and Calgary, Alberta.

This year, Patel says, the company plans to open 19 more locations, including one at the Borgata Hotel Casino & Spa in Atlantic City, N.J.; Mayfield Heights and Garfield Heights, Ohio; Redwood City, Calif.; Naples, Fla.; Federal Way, Wash.; and Aurora, Colo. Next year, the company will open 26 more, Patel says. “We are continuously winning awards for our burgers,” she adds. In 2005, the company received a Best Burger on West Coast award from Life & Style Magazine. That same year, it also received a Best Hamburger: Reader’s Choice award from Las Vegas Weekly.

Burger Experience
To maintain the traditions Yancey started, Fatburger restaurants continue to cook burgers to order on open grills, using fresh USDA ground beef that is never frozen. Additionally, its shakes are made from hand-scooped ice cream.

Jukeboxes at the restaurant play R&B, jazz and soul music. This is the music Yancey loved; in the old days, musicians would visit her Fatburger restaurant.

Fatburger also provides its customers with table service. “It’s not like McDonald’s,” Patel asserts. “You sit down and we bring your food to you.”

After the customers have finished meals, Fatburger employees will also dispose of their trash. “Bottom line, you’re going to have a genuine burger experience at Fatburger,” she declares.

Increasing Efficiency
Fatburger is currently testing an online ordering system in Colorado and at two locations in California, Patel says. Through its Web site, customers can order their meals and determine the time when they wish to pick them up.

After the company analyzes the results of the test, Patel says, Fatburger will determine whether or not the online ordering will go systemwide.

The company is also instituting a new menu system, Patel says. After one year of research and testing, Fatburger changed its menu system completely, from its graphics to the hardware. “What we wanted to do was give the customers a very clear presentation of the menu,” she explains. This included combining its items into bundled deals, which Patel says the company calls the “Big Fat Deals.”

Patel notes that the menu change will make ordering more efficient for customers.

Building the Team
For the future, Patel says Fatburger plans to continue growing while making sure it provides consistent operations and a consistent experience to its customers. “We also want to make sure we pick the right franchisees,” she adds.

According to Patel, 53 of its restaurants are franchise locations. “We have a really strong collection of franchisees,” she says, noting that the company looks for people willing to work on the floor of its restaurants and grow with Fatburger. “We look for franchisees that are going to have a really sound business structure,” she explains. “They should have an operator that is well versed in the restaurant industry. That’s extremely key.

“We also want to make sure the franchisee understands the brand and that we’re not like other [quick-service restaurants] or other burger places,” she continues. “We make sure that quality is top priority.”

Additionally, several of its franchisees are celebrities, including talk show host Montel Williams and athletes Willie Anderson and Chester McLaughlin.

Patel says celebrities have joined the company because they were fans of its product. “It always starts from their own experience from Fatburger,” she explains. “It’s always ‘cause they liked the brand or grew up with the brand.”

Fatburger also has an employee turnover rate within the 90th percentile, which is below the industry standard, Patel says. She credits it to the company’s culture. “There’s not much red tape,” she says. “It’s a very tight-knit culture.”

She adds the company is driven by its passion. “We put our blood, sweat and tears into the company,” she states.   FAD