Elevation Burger

Elevation Burger
Genre Fast casual restaurant
Founded September 2005
Headquarters Falls Church, Virginia, USA
Products Organic food
Owner Hans Hess
Website http://www.elevationburger.com/

Elevation Burger is a fast casual restaurant chain that originated in Falls Church, Virginia, within the Washington Metropolitan Area. They have over 50 locations operating in the United States, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates.

History

The initial idea of an organic fast casual restaurant was conceived in 2002 by founder and owner Hans Hess. He opened the first restaurant in September 2005, in Falls Church, Virginia,[1] and was called "the first organic burger joint" by Saveur magazine.[2]

In Spring 2008, Elevation Burger decided to expand from its original location through franchising with the help of Fransmart the company behind the franchise success of a competitor.[3] Subsequently, they announced franchising deals for new restaurants in Washington Metropolitan Area (April 2008),[4][5] Baltimore, Maryland (September 2008),[6][7] Austin, Texas (October 2008),[8] Montclair, New Jersey (November 2008),[9] Florida (March 2009),[10] Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (May 2009),[11][12] New York (May 2009),[13] Dallas, Texas (June 2009).[14][15]

Elevation Burger’s corporate parent and founder appeared in a Wall Street Journal article from June 2009 as one of the companies recently targeted by fake Twitter profiles. The respective Twitter profile, created in the name of Elevation Burger but promoting a rival, was discovered in March 2009, then suspended after a letter from Hess's lawyer.[16]

Products

The menu consists of burgers made with organic meat, fresh cut french fries cooked in olive oil, a burger that can be made with as many as 10 patties (vertigo burger), two kinds of veggie burgers and hand-blended milkshakes.

The meat for non-vegetarian burgers is USDA-certified organic, grass fed, free range beef and the cheese is 6 month aged cheddar.[17] The beef is cooked on griddles heated by steam, rather than gas flame, for ensuring a more uniform surface temperature and faster temperature recovery. The veggie burgers are cooked in a conveyor, keeping them away from the griddle where beef is cooked. The fresh french fries are cooked in olive oil, after a process patented by Hans Hess. The milkshakes are made from hand-scooped ice cream.[18][19]

Awards and innovative ideas

Hess was the 2008 winner of the "Visionary" category in the Greater Washington Green Business Awards hosted by the Washington Business Journal and the Greater Washington Board of Trade. This category was designed for "an individual who has made an outstanding and lasting impact on environmental awareness through his or her advocacy, conservation and preservation efforts". Besides the restaurant chain, he became known as an eco-friendly businessman through the policies implemented at another firm he founded in 2007: EnviroCab, the all-hybrid taxi fleet based in Arlington County.[20][21]

The buildings of the Elevation Burger chain typically pursue LEED certification regulated by United States Green Building Council.[22] Because of the commitment required, this step is uncommon in the fast-casual restaurant business. The restaurants use environmentally sustainable and non-hazardous architectural finishes, equipment and construction and operating practices. They are equipped with compact fluorescent bulbs and other energy-efficient equipment and finished with renewable and non-polluting materials and surfaces, like bamboo flooring, compressed sorghum tabletops, acoustic ceiling tiles and bead board made of recycled and recyclable material.[23]

Besides the choice of organic ingredients, Elevation Burger seeks a green approach by recycling the waste produced (for example, the waste olive oil is donated for conversion into bio-diesel).[23]

Reception

Elevation Burger was named as one of fast rising casual restaurant chains,[24] catering to health-conscious clients.[25] Its restaurants were praised for the quality of their food[26][27][28] and they were included among the local attractions and best restaurants of Washington D.C.,[29][30] Baltimore[31] and other cities.

References

  1. ↑ "West Coast' burgers get lift". The Washington Times. April 7, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  2. ↑ "Burger Franchise Firsts". Saveur (Issue #122). Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  3. ↑ Eater Staff. "Mega-Chains in the Making: Smashburger, Elevation Burger, and Mooyah Burger". Eater.com. Retrieved 2014-12-22.
  4. ↑ Gillian Gaynair (April 15, 2008). "Elevation Burger to open 7 more restaurants in the Washington Area". Washington Business Journal. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  5. ↑ "Elevation Burger Expands in Northeast". QSR Magazine. April 15, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  6. ↑ Julekha Dash (September 18, 2008). "Elevation Burger chain expanding to Baltimore". Baltimore Business Journal. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  7. ↑ "Burger with a Heart". Baltimore Magazine. September 18, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  8. ↑ Kiah Collier (October 3, 2008). "Organic burger joint taps into Austin’s eco-friendly scene". Austin Business Journal. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  9. ↑ "Organic Burger Concept Continues Expansion". QSR Magazine. November 24, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  10. ↑ "Elevation Burger Signs Multi-Unit Fla. Deal". QSR Magazine. March 30, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  11. ↑ Peter Van Allen (May 7, 2009). "Organic chain Elevation Burger has Phila.-area sites on menu". Philadelphia Business Journal. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  12. ↑ Carissa Dimargo and Kelly Bayliss (May 20, 2009). "Organic Burger Chain Coming to Philly". NBC Philadelphia. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  13. ↑ "Elevation Burger Expands to Manhattan". QSR Magazine. May 14, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  14. ↑ Holly Lafon (July 7, 2009). "New Organic Fast-Food Restaurant Coming to Dallas". NBC DFW. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  15. ↑ "Organic Burger Chain Signs Deal in Dallas". Chainleader.com. June 24, 2009. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  16. ↑ Sarah E. Needleman (June 29, 2009). "Companies Cope With Twitter Imposters". Wall Street Journal. Retrieved 2009-09-02.
  17. ↑ Carissa Dimargo (May 22, 2009). "Fast Food Goes Organic". NBC Washington. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  18. ↑ James J. Scarpa (Feb 20, 2008). "Elevation Burger set up its kitchen to do what couldn’t be done". Nations Restaurant News. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  19. ↑ "Elevation Burger - Our Menu". Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  20. ↑ "Hans Hess, CEO EnviroCab LLC and Elevation Burger - Visionary winner". Washington Business Journal. October 17, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  21. ↑ "Elevation Burger CEO Wins Green Award". QSR magazine. October 20, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  22. ↑ Karon Warner (March 2009). "Tried and True". QSR magazine. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  23. ↑ 23.0 23.1 "Elevation Burger - Ingredients matter". Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  24. ↑ Tim Carman (July 9, 2008). "New Guys Are on The Rise". Washington Post. p. F01. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  25. ↑ "Flat Lining Organics". QSR magazine. December 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  26. ↑ Tom Sietsema (October 12, 2008). "Juicy Cuisine: Hamburgers Done Right (2008 Fall Dining Guide)". Washington Post. p. W28. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  27. ↑ Ann Limpert (April 18, 2008). "The Wrap-Up: The Week in Food". Washingtonian. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  28. ↑ "Now even Thomas Berger is flipping out for burgers". Restaurant Hospitality. November 25, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  29. ↑ "Readers' Choice: Best of Washington". Washingtonian. June 20, 2008. Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  30. ↑ "Washington, DC - Best Dining". City's Best (AOL). Retrieved 2009-08-05.
  31. ↑ Max Weiss. "Best of Baltimore 2009". Baltimore Magazine. Retrieved 2009-08-05.

External links