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tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption
CHAIN -- Back
Yard Burgers Back Yard Burgers started out in Cleveland, MS, in 1987 as another one of those double-drive-thru outlets. Grocer Lattie Michael saw it as an economical way to get into the restaurant business. Michael used premium ingredients on his burgers including red onions and major brand condiments. The first modular building pumped out charbroiled burgers at a highly successful rate. The first franchise was open a year later and growth was quick. The chain moved to Memphis, and later to Nashville after a buyout of the then publicy-held company. In 1993, Back Yard looked at its product in relation to the double drive-thru competition and decided they belonged in a different market. The double-drive-thru concept was abandoned and Back Yard started adding dining rooms. Sales soared. Eventually over the years, Back Yard adjusted its burger quality and pricing out of the low-price fast food market and more toward the fast-casual market. Marketing migrated towards hawking quality. Better decor, better food, and Black Angus Beef. Back Yard Burgers had a winner. Back Yard Burgers isn't alone in the premium fast food burger market. Hardee's changed their format to a new "Thickburger" concept in 2003 featuring 1/3-pound Angus beef burgers. But the difference between the two chains' products stops there. These are vastly different products. The Back Yard Burgers menu consists of 1/3-pound charbroiled patties in single or double form depending on the sandwich. There's the namesake burger, a Mushroom Swiss, a Bacon Cheddar, the "Black Jack" (Pepper Jack cheese, "Blackening" seasoning, Creole mayo), and "Miz Grazi" (think hot hot hot). The burgers use the spongy buns similar to the ones at Jack in the Box and Wendy's that make the burger look camera-ready but which I don't prefer taste-wise. They are not Sesame seed buns. They all come with red onions, tomato, and a leaf lettuce that is greener, crunchier, and stronger tasting than Iceberg lettuce. Again, it looks really good, but I prefer the taste of Iceberg. Condiments are skimpy. Back Yard probably uses about a tenth of the mayo Hardee's does on their Thickburgers. That's the big difference in product between the two chains. Hardee's 1/3-pound burgers are really sloppy and appear bigger than life...Back Yard's 1/3-pounders look much smaller and have much less topping-wise. The skimpy toppings may explain why Back Yard Burgers claims an unusually high number of women as customers. The sandwiches, by design, look much more attractive and healthy compared to any other chain. Other offerings: Chicken sandwiches, a BLT, a Gardenburger, a hot dog, and a chili dog. Sides include chili in a cup, salads, baked potatoes, seasoned fries, waffle fries, and chili cheese fries. For dessert they have a cobbler (different flavor each day), and hand-dipped milkshakes and malts. I tried the "Ranch" potato, which is topped with cheddar, bacon strips, and a Ranch sauce. I found it very plain tasting and had to hunt to find any Ranch on it at all. The seasoned fries were kind of similar in color and taste to Hardee's seasoned curly fries, but they are large straight fries, and they're not quite as good. The chili dog is the highlight of the menu for me. It's almost Wienerschnitzel good. The malt is also good, but really small and overpriced. Back Yard takes your order at the counter, gives you a number and a self-serve drink cup, cooks to order, and delivers to your table on a silver platter tray. Burgers are served in a basket with a wax liner (no box) but pretty much everything else is served in the usual fast food containers. The dining room of the Back Yard I've been to (a previous generation dining room...they've changed everything down to the logo in newer buildings) kind of reminds me of a Fazoli's. Red and green trim around cream-colored walls and green carpeting. There is no false ceiling...everything above where you'd expect one is painted black. So the dining room has a darker, more intimate feel. Back Yard has been noticed. YUM!, the Taco Bell/KFC/Pizza Hut/Long John Silvers/A&W guys, tried co-branding Back Yard with some of their brands on a sort of test basis. but stopped that nonsense in 2004. The hamburger market is as bloated as the stomachs of burger lovers, but as people graduate toward a more premium burger, Back Yard has an opportunity to flourish. Click here to return to tesg's guide to big chain road food consumption |
