Burgers & Beers

How has this idea enhanced your club's operation, etc.?

The Burger and Beer promotion was created to provide variety to our menu in the Founders Pub by introducing a unique burger recipe each week and pairing it with a hand – picked craft beer chosen by our Pub Manager and Certified Cicerone®. The concept was also intended to excite and expose the membership to local craft beers. Since its inception in February of 2017, our talented culinary team has created over 50 different mouth-watering recipes and served over 1,200 burger specials. The beers we have used to pair have spanned greatly in beer styles from clean, crisp lagers to smooth, fruity Hefeweizens and bold, hoppy IPAs to dark, malty stouts. We have focused mainly on local breweries, strengthening our relationships with the businesses around us and supporting the local economy by using beers from over 10 breweries within a 30-mile radius of our club. The promotion has been an integral part of a beer program that showed a 20% growth in sales from the summer of 2016 to the summer of 2017.

How was this idea implemented, and what have been the club members' reactions?

The burger and beer promotion has been an immediate hit with membership! Each Monday we roll out the new pairing for the week at a one-day discounted price. We have seen what had previously been one of our slowest days of the week grow into a staple on many members’ calendars. The specials have become a hot topic of conversation in the hallways of our clubhouse with members rating their favorite specials and constantly inquiring about what is coming up next. Several members have pitched ideas for their favorite beers to pair or burger recipes they have seen elsewhere for us to adapt. Whenever we put on a special based off of a member recommendation, that member takes tremendous pride, bringing in guests throughout the week to try “their burger”. Some of our specials have proven so popular that they have not ended the week they were served. Most notably, the Quesadilla Burger – an 8oz angus beef patty topped with Pico de Gallo and shredded cheddar cheese, then wrapped in a flour tortilla and served with sides of guacamole, salsa, and sour cream which gained what can only be described as a group following. Ordering any burger “quesadilla-style” or wrapped in a tortilla, has become a secret menu option akin to ordering “animal-style” at an In And Out Burger.

Many members have had their eyes opened by some of the craft beers that the promotion has introduced them to. Some who previously had no reason to stray from their typical Bud Light have fallen in love with the bright, refreshing citrus notes in Manor Hill’s Grisette or the deep, rich caramel flavors of Denizen’s Big Red Norm, to name a few. Members have grown excited to expand their beer knowledge, and some have even visited the local breweries we source some of our beers from. The growing interest in craft beer created by this special has opened the door for more beer-related improvements including rotating draft lines in the Pub and a curated list of craft beers in cans at our poolside bar.