QSR April 2023

DEPARTMENT ONES TO WATCH

Killer Burger The growing franchise stands apart using party vibes and creative signature burgers. BY BEN COLEY

six openings, which would put Killer Burger at around 25 locations. Additionally, this is the year of the chain’s first leadership summit since pre COVID. Dikos says the meeting is crucial for alignment purposes. Executives can dis cuss goals and meet inside restaurants, but nothing compares to getting an entire group together to digest the long-term roadmap. The highlight of the meeting is returning to hospitality, the CEO says. Pandemic forced circumstances pushed Killer Burger to be more of a digital business, but at its core, serving a customer face-to-face is in its DNA. The concept wants to elevate exe cution and develop team members so it can drive that point home to new and exist ing guests. The momentum is already present. Same-store sales were positive to end 2022, and that continued into the early part of this year. Sanders expects high single digits to low double digits. “It helps us get to a point of better finan cial stability and the ability to start growing organically a lot faster,” Sanders says. Killer Burger is part of a swiftly growing fast-casual burger segment—one in which differentiation is table stakes. The box is typically 2,400 square feet, but the brand can dial that down to 1,500-1,800 square feet for its digital-centric, pickup locations with fewer tables and chairs. Although Killer Burger’s unit count is small, it’s already demonstrated success in multiple venues, including two locations in prom inent professional sports facilities (Moda Center and Providence Park), a freestand ing unit with a drive-thru pickup window, and a handful in high-end suburban neigh borhoods, urban locations, endcaps, and inlines. One of the first things Dikos did when he joined Killer Burger was move to an architectural company CONTINUED ON PAGE 70

growth. CEO John Dikos and vice presi dent of finance Adam Sanders are fairly new to the brand as well, with Dikos join ing in July 2021 and Sanders following in December of that same year. “Across the board, everything’s been upgraded, so really putting all the systems in place and team in place to let us grow going forward and facilitate that growth,” Sanders says. “I mean financially it was a challenging year a little bit because of that, but I think a necessary step.” After making those investments in sys tems and people, Dikos says 2023 is the year to start showing improvement in terms of efficient processes and unit economics. After jumping from 50 percent staffing levels to 80 percent and opening three restaurants in 2022, the goal is to double development to

FOR KILLER BURGER, 2022 SET UP THINGS TO COME in the next five to seven years. The fast casual significantly upgraded its tech stack, including a transition to Olo for online ordering and Paytronix for loyalty membership. It also switched its account ing software and began using a new real estate analytics tool for more predictable FOUNDERS: TJ Southard HEADQUARTERS: Portland, Oregon YEAR STARTED: 2010 ANNUAL SALES: $21.96M, 2023 system sales projected at $26M TOTAL UNITS 20 FRANCHISED UNITS: 8

KILLER BURGER

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APRIL 2023 | QSR | www.qsrmagazine.com