vp04.04.13

PRESSDINING
By Julie-Ann Poll
Correspondent
Just when you thought the
booming burger business was leveling
off, another one pops up
claiming a “better burger.” A new
restaurant called BurgerFi is the
latest spot making a buzz in the
Farmington Valley.
BurgerFi is a franchise that
started in Florida. Mike and Paul
Cassetta learned about the chain
while vacationing in the sunshine
state. Two weeks ago, the father
and son owners opened the Avon
location – the first in the Northeast.
For many years, the burger
segment has been one of the most
powerful categories in the restaurant
industry.
According to the Technomic,
Inc. Top 150 Fast-Casual Chain
Restaurants and Consumer
Restaurant Brand Metrics reports,
fast-casual burger chains had the
strongest growth out of all the
menu category clusters among the
top 150 fast-casual chain restaurants
in 2011.
Fifty-four percent of consumers
frequent fast-casual burger
chains at least occasionally making
this the only fast-casual restaurant
category visited occasionally
by the bulk of consumers.
BurgerFi focuses on an “all-
.
Fresh for your palate: a review of BurgerFi
12 The Valley Press April 4, 2013
BurgerFi
natural tastes better and it’s better
for you” philosophy.
According to its owners, the
restaurant uses grass-fed Angus
beef from cattle that are humanely
raised 100 percent antibiotic and
hormone-free. e burgers are
never frozen and never cooked in a
microwave.
BurgerFi also uses high-quality
ingredients with handmade,
fresh preparation.
It shows its social consciousness
through an earth-friendly
décor, including chairs made from
recycled Coke bottles, strict recycling
habits and energy-efficient
operations.
e franchise believes that
the combination of these elements
will change the way we eat burgers
Greenhouse Cafe offers a
fresh, innovative menu
featuring locally sourced,
seasonal food.
Complete your meal with a visit
to the Frozen Gnome!
Address: Avon Marketplace
plaza, 530R Bushy Hill Road,
Avon
Phone: 860-217-1403
Cuisine type: American
burgers and hot dogs
Website:
www.burgerfi.com
Hours:
Sun-Thurs: 11 a.m.-11 p.m.;
Fri-Sat: 11 a.m.-midnight
OPEN
APRIL 12
Dining ‘al fresco’ seated amongst our beautiful
display gardens and water features, enjoy your
lunch by the pond or dinner under the stars!
Monday - Friday 10 am - 8 pm Saturday & Sunday 10 am - 9 pm
511 Spielman Hwy, Burlington • 860-673-8111
Above: The VegeFi Burger, Chicago-style hot dog and fries with parmesan
cheese and herbs.
Right: BurgerFi Avon is located in the Avon Marketplace Plaza on Route 44.
and think of the American institutional
burger joint – a “BurgerFication”
revolution.
is philosophy must be
working. e first time we visited
the new restaurant, we couldn’t
get in. ere was a line of customers
back to the entry and every
table was filled.
We left and had success the
next day at an off time.
We reviewed the menu board.
It includes burgers – both pre-set
and build your own – hot dogs,
“accessories,” such as fries and
onion rings, and desserts including
frozen custards, frozen concretes
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Photos by Julie-Ann Poll
and cupcakes.
e beverage list includes a
full range of family-friendly drinks,
as well as beer and wine for the
adults. Who doesn’t want a beer
with their burger?
ere is also a “secret” menu
with nine items you won’t find on
the menu board. e “secret
menu” is becoming a popular concept.
e restaurant doesn’t promote
the secret menu. but patrons
are “in the know” through word of
mouth, social media or the restaurant’s
website.
e millennial generation especially
tends to like the secret
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34556
menu concept because it generates
online excitement. ese customers
tend to feel like they have
a special bond with the restaurant
and staff since they are “in the
know.”
We chose the VegeFi Burger,
Chicago-style dog, fries with
Parmesan cheese and herbs, and a
chocolate shake.
e shake was thick, rich and
very chocolaty.
e veggie burger was served
on a multi-grain roll and had a rich
earthy flavor with a nutty crunchiness
provided by quinoa.
e hand-cut fries were crispy
and came in a generous size portion
– plenty for two. e Chicagostyle
dog had good zest from the
combination of spicy and sweet
toppings.
Another cool feature of the
restaurant is the “table tracker”
food delivery system.
You order your food at the
counter, but the staff does not
serve you your food directly at the
counter or by searching for table
tents or numbers given to guests
when ordering.
Instead, the staff gives you a
flat square device that transmits
the table number for your order.
Once your order is ready, the staff
delivers your food to the proper
table through the radio frequency
identification tracking device.
e Avon BurgerFi is the first
of two planned Connecticut locations.
e next Connecticut location
will be in Manchester,
opening this summer. Currently,
the franchise has 16 locations nationwide
and anticipates having 40
restaurants by year end.