The Edmonton burger scene is receiving a big shot in the arm from 2 Eastern Canadian franchises looking to make their mark in the West, and fill what I consider to be a void in our marketplace–the classic burger stand. My locally owned favourite, Jack’s Burger Shack, is out in St. Albert, so getting a couple new spots in the city’s core is welcome news.
The Burger’s Priest out of Toronto officially opens today, and East Coast favourite Relish Gourmet Burgers is aiming to be open in early June. To give you a sense of what these 2 burger joints are all about, I asked The Burger’s Priest founder Shant Mardirosian, and Relish founder Rivers Corbett a few questions about their restaurants and about moving into the Edmonton market.
Why should Edmontonians be excited about a new burger chain coming to town, and what sets you apart from other burger joints?
Mardirosian- The Burger’s Priest– All we can say is that we are very excited to bring our rendition of the classic cheeseburger to Edmonton. We hope that as people taste the difference that fresh ground in house beef seared on a hot griddle makes they will be just as excited as us.
Corbett- Relish- reLiSH was born on a simple philosophy for success – “we ZAG when everyone else zigs” Yes …it’s definitely about providing the best gourmet burger experience on the planet but it’s more than that. Relish works hard everyday to win not only the tummy’s of our guests but also their hearts. And that comes down to a proving a great EXPERIENCE so our guests want to come back again and again. We want to be the DisneyWorld of Gourmet Burger companies.
Want some great testimonials to reinforce what Edmontonians are going to experience… visit the BUZZ at our website http://RelishYou.ca
Oh yes…the fact that we were born in the Canadian East Coast connects us with our Western Canadian brothers and sisters, which brings us a lot of pride also.
Describe your burgers in 2 sentences or less.
Mardirosian- B.P.- The Burger’s Priest burger is the purest example of where science and simplicity collide. Ultra premium beef seared to bring out the flavour and treated to the humblest of toppings.
Corbett- Relish- A menu designed by Western Canadian Chef Ray Henry with a focus on combining Alberta Beef with knowledgeable gourmet ingredients in a way that guests would never consider. A taste experience!
What made Edmonton an attractive market for expansion?
Mardirosian- B.P.– We like any market where people love beef and Edmonton is a beef town to say the least.
Corbett- Relish– We have a lot of people from Eastern Canada who know our brand well and are now living in Edmonton. They have told us….”Edmonton would relish you guys! You have to come here.” We listened to our fans, did research on this amazing city, found an amazing franchise team and here we are…. Oh yes..it doesn’t hurt that one of our main burgers is called The Great One named after one of Edmonton’s Great Ones.
Are any of your meats, produce, or buns going to be sourced locally? If so, which ones?
Mardirosian- B.P.- We do our best to get everything local whenever possible.
Corbett- Relish– We support the sourcing of local products and services as much as we can such as our Alberta Beef and of course local contractors, service providers, etc. That said…consistency across our brand is also important so we must continue to protect that to ensure our guests get the Relish experience they expect where ever they visit a reLiSH location.
Will your burgers and buns be made fresh in-house?
Mardirosian- B.P. – Our buns are not made in house but our beef will be ground while [sic] muscle and formed in house everyday. We have never in 5 years used a beef patty the next day. It’s fresh or we close the doors and put out the sold out sign.
Corbett- Relish– Our burgers will be prepared FRESH in house and our buns will be sourced from locally providers.
On an Edmontonian’s first visit, what should they order?
Mardirosian, B.P.- Without question the burger to order is either the double cheeseburger with bacon or our version of the classic the “high priest”
Corbett, Relish– I really like the Big Texas with its crispy bacon, pepper jack cheese & crispy onion frits. The Jersey City is also great. There are basically eleven options, including each location has its signature burger, to choose from each with their own unique taste. A weekly feature burger is also added to the mix and changes every Tuesday. So, with all that said we expect that individuals will find the burger that speaks to them. Each menu item comes with either Angus Beef, Turkey or Vegetarian choices tripling our menu items.
Time will tell if these 2 new entries into the market will flourish or flop, but the real winners with this increased competition is going to be us everyday diners.
Relish Gourmet Burgers- 10704 124 st
The Burgers Priest- 10148 109 st
Baconhound is an Edmonton food blog, focusing on the best restaurants and dishes in Edmonton and beyond. Phil Wilson is also host of the Edmonton, Alberta based food podcast, Off Menu.