![]() ![]() Positioning its price range between the typical fast-food burger joint and a gourmet outlet, Caliburger aims for multiple outlets within Malaysia, focusing on providing an aspirational experience that will heavily involve social media engagement. The emphasis is on freshness, using imported meat from Australia but locally supplied vegetables, all cut by hand in store. Modelled after the famed In-N-Out Burger in California, Caliburger - which will open in Avenue K in May - aims to keep a “simple menu” that maintains a more classic burger flavour. He says people are still hungry for good quality and fresh options, something Caliburger aims to provide. That being said, Vijay Chinnasami, the chief executive officer of AAR Fusions, who runs Caliburger in Malaysia, believes the market is far from being saturated. With the international big boys such as The Counter and the soon-to-be-opened Caliburger entering the fray, it would seem that the burger boom has reached maturity. KGB opened a branch in Mid Valley Mega Mall last year, taking on the bigger, established burger chains such as American fast food chain Carl’s Jr as well as pioneering Malaysian pork burger chain, Ninja Joe. In the last two years, the burger trend has begun to penetrate into central city locations and into the shopping malls. The Rawang Burger Bakar now offers franchise licences (at only RM1,500) and is proud to boast of its 50 plus branches, including the first overseas franchise in Cardiff, Wales. Even roadside stands developed their own identities and brands, multiplying in many locations, such as the Burger Bakar Kaw Kaw, with its towering signature burger and trendy names. It wasn’t only urban joints that evolved. Other suburban joints soon opened, including Burger Junkyard and KGB (Killer Gourmet Burgers). The pioneering brand proved to be a game changer with its close to gourmet-style burgers, but differentiated by a fuss free suburban community concept and affordability (averaging RM12 to RM20 for an a la carte burger). We offered very innovative and distinct flavours, so much so people would say, ‘like this also can ah’?” “For us, it was our unique concept that drew people. Friday’s and The Daily Grind in Bangsar …” all of which served cooked-to-order gourmet burgers. As Teoh, a founding member of the burger joint, points out, “ there was already Chilli’s and T.G.I. Trend aside, the myBurgerLab phenomenon was a clear sign that there was a gap in the market for freshly made burgers that were affordable yet different. ![]() “I guess whenever business is good, people will want to have their hands on it as well.” ![]() “After we started, there were a lot of burger restaurants that popped up,” says Teoh, admitting that it had an impact on their business. Despite opening in a rather hidden location in the suburb of Sea Park, Petaling Jaya, myBurgerLab saw lines around the block on a regular basis even before it opened at 5pm, often selling out long before closing time at 10pm. Teoh Wee Kiat of myBurgerLab agrees that the love for burgers will not be waning anytime soon, though he thinks the market has certainly got more crowded from when it first kick-started the burger revolution in 2012. The entry of California-based premium burger chain, The Counter - a specialist in the build-your-own-burger experience - in Pavilion Kuala Lumpur this month is freshly served proof that the food trend is here to stay. It has gone mainstream, becoming a legitimate meal choice. The burger as we know it today has evolved from the cheap, quick, late night street snack to now having a presence in malls, standalone shops and restaurants. FOR many Malaysians, our first encounter with burgers began on street corners - the humble but oh-so-tasty Ramly burger, fulfilling many a late night craving and hunger pangs across neighbourhoods.Īnd while the quintessentially Malaysian bite with its unique flavours will always hold a special place in our hearts, not to forget tummies, it has also spawned a generation of burger lovers, many of whom have become catalysts for the boom in the burger business in the last few years. ![]()
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