HOUSING DOWNTURN HELPS CREATE TONYBURGERS
Chris and Nicole Carver had spent 7 years designing homes in Park City, but with the housing downturn and their client list drying up, the couple decided to abandon the housing market and chase a lifelong dream of starting up a new burger restaurant. “The idea was kind of out of left field” says Chris “but every time we talked about it we got really excited.”
Together with Chris’s brother Nick, the three began researching burgers. “We wanted to create the best burger imaginable.” says Chris. So off they went on THE GREAT BURGER QUEST. It took them to Las Vegas, to Phoenix, to LA, and finally to New York City. The quest became an obsession. WHAT MAKES A GREAT BURGER? For the trio there was only one criteria, TASTE. When they found a good one, the research started..the freshness of the bun..the make-up of the meat..and exactly how it was cooked.
They pried and bribed secrets out of cooks and gourmets. They set up tasting boards and feedback committees. They tried everything, and they found that the keys were total freshness and mixing different cuts of beef in exactly the right percentages. “Mixing the different cuts of beef is what really sets our beef apart from other burger places.” says Nicole. “It gives our burger a beefier, more robust flavor that really is kind of addicting.”
The name for the new venture “Tonyburgers” actually came from Chris and Nick’s younger brother Tony. “We used Tony’s name because he’s a cool guy and it flows better than Chrisburgers or Nickburgers!”
But they weren’t done! Their quest to find the best went beyond burgers to fries and their research showed that, again, there were no shortcuts. The best fries had to be hand cut from fresh potatoes every day, and cooked twice in just the right blend of oil. Using Nicole’s expertise they went on to salads..again only the best and the most unique..then to shakes, same thing.
“Everything that is really and truly GOOD has a secret.” says Chris. “And the only way to find the secrets is to search and to research. That’s what we did with everything we sell at Tonyburgers. We’re glad to share our quest for the best, and its results, with our customers every day.”
