A Burger King Whopper Bar is set to open next month on Washington Avenue, adding to a recent `burger frenzy' in South Beach.
BY DAVID SMILEY
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Move over, South Beach burger joints. The King is coming. And he's got booze.
Burger King announced plans Friday to open its first South Florida Whopper Bar -- a boutique version of the Miami-based fast food chain that hawks exotic recipes of its signature sandwich. The second of its kind in the country, and the first to serve up ice-cold beer, the 24-hour Whopper Bar South Beach has been in the works for several months and is set to open in February at Washington Avenue and 11th street.
Burger King touts the venue as a unique hometown location on high-profile real estate, and BK is adding SoBe flavor to the new locale: Delivery men on scooters will fetch your whopper to your condo (call 531-FIRE), and beer will be sold until 5 a.m.
``It's in our backyard,'' said Jonathan Muhtar, senior director of new concept development for Burger King. ``We love the idea of having a marquis, flagship location for us in Miami that we can share with the community we grew up in.''
Analysts say Burger King's new venture is part of a recession-friendly recipe. Customers are splurging on small luxuries like a gourmet burger but are less likely to fork over big bucks for a five-star meal, and the industry has noticed.
``People aren't spending as much money,'' said Richard Lackey, a Palm Beach Gardens-based restaurant broker and consultant. ``Where today they'll be at Morton's Steakhouse, tomorrow they'll be at a Friday's or a gourmet burger bar.''
Burger King's Whopper Bar lands in an increasingly saturated market.
In the past year, restaurants such as 8 oz. Burger Bar, Bliss Burger Bistro & Lounge and others have opened in the area, meaning Burger King's $7.99 deal of a Whopper, fries and domestic brew will compete with microbreweries and everything from $10, half-pound patties to the Burger & Beer Joint's $39 ``Stairway to Heaven,'' a 10-ounce Angus beef burger with foie gras, black truffle demi and a brioche bun, served with duck fat fries.
Burger King will unveil a new gourmet sandwich at the SoBe location, the BK Black & Bleu Steakhouse, with blue cheese, pepper bacon, blackened Cajun sauce and onions.
``There's a burger frenzy going on down there,'' said Sef ``The Burger Beast'' Gonzalez, a Miami blogger who once drove round trip to Orlando just to eat at the country's first Whopper Bar. Gonzalez said the trend, at least in South Florida, appears to be exclusive to South Beach.
As for Burger King's potential on Miami Beach: ``Is it a neat concept? Sure,'' he said, ``if you love Burger King.''
Some in the local market see Burger King's new venture not as a threat but as another sign that burgers are the business to be in right now on Miami Beach.
``It means that for the first time in my life I got it right,'' said Eric Fried of 8 oz. Burger Bar, which opened one year ago next month. ``Our timing was impeccable and obviously other people agree with me.''
Analysts say the gourmet burger trend is going on everywhere. ``The quick headline would be burgers are back big time,'' said Ron Paul, president of Technomic, a Chicago-based restaurant consulting firm.
Paul said unique burger restaurants have made a comeback, noting that Five Guys Burgers, which has sprouted a slew of local spots, including one in Miami Beach, is one of the country's fastest growing chains.
Lackey, the local analyst, said chefs around the world are finding new, profitable ways to reinvent fast food recipes as a way to adapt to the current market.
``We're seeing a revolution in what's happening in burger and pizza,'' he said.
``Why? Because they're fast food, fast casual, they're inexpensive, and they are comfort foods and are known to everybody.''
