AN INTERVIEW WITH DAVID FRIEDMAN OF CHICAGO'S EPIC BURGER
We're driving down State Street in Chicago's South Loop this past fall and my wife points out a restaurant with Nelson Bubble lamps hanging inside. We pulled over, walked right in and were struck by a visual treat...the aforementioned lamps and Saul Bass-like graphics on the wall. And this was only just the beginning of our love affair with a hip and socially conscious burger joint called Epic Burger. Owner David Friedman was kind enough to tell us a bit more about his fantastic hot spot that is a "must-eat" for any local or visitor to Chicago.
Bryan: Can you talk about how Epic Burger began and what got you started?
David: The idea for Epic Burger sprang from my many years as a chef and a product development consultant to many national chains and food manufacturers where I became disturbed by the many tricks of the trade they used to insure the greatest profits, food yields and shelf life. I also realized as the more processed the food, the less nutritional value the food retained resulting in foods very high in sodium, sugar and fat. I also started to understand how industrial farming, especially how we raise our livestock, can negatively effect our planet and our health. I could go on but let me get off my soap box and say that I was looking for a way to reach a wide range of people that might not normally think about how their food is raised and help them become a little bit more aware of the old saying: "you are what you eat". I thought the best way to heighten their awareness would be through the most iconic food product in America, "the hamburger". And, just maybe if I could produce a hamburger closer to the way nature intended (see the Epic Rules), people might just like it. And so far they have.
Bryan: What specifically sets you apart from what other burger joints have been doing?
David: The biggest point of difference between Epic Burger and most others is that we only serve fresh, all natural beef, that means no antibiotics, hormones and humanely raised livestock. We also serve freshly baked buns both white and whole wheat with no food colorings or preservatives. We don't use processed cheese and petroleum based packaging. Our toppings include organic eggs and nitrate free bacon. Our fries are hand cut from fresh potatoes every day, cooked in trans fat free oil and seasoned with pure sea salt. We also offer a variety of shakes and smoothies made with real fruit, organic milk, and all natural ice cream. We also serve all natural sodas.
Bryan: What inspired you to develop the amazing, yet simple menu items you offer?
David: My reasoning for such a limited menu is that I wanted to do less better. I want Epic Burger to be focused on very few items executed really well. Although the menu is quite limited in the number of offerings I believe it has a wide breadth. If you are not in the mood for beef, we have an excellent turkey burger. If you prefer chicken, we offer an all natural chicken breast sandwich. And, if you are looking for a meat alternative, we serve a Portobello mushroom sandwich. Our 5th sandwich is the Epic BLT which we top with aged cheddar cheese and an organic fried egg in addition to vine ripe tomatoes, nitrate free bacon and green leaf lettuce. All sandwiches are priced at $5.99.
Bryan: Who is your target demographic and how have you pursued them?
David: My target customer is anyone who enjoys a great burger and fries and can't get any satisfaction from the current fast food offerings.
Bryan: What are your future plans for Epic Burger?
David: My plan for Epic Burger is to spread the goodness as far and wide as I can. pm
::See the Epic menu
::Read the Epic press
::Find Epic
Photo credits: Jia M., Jenny H. and Epic Burger
Bryan Kelly is a co-founder and contributor to PrairieMod. He lives in a super cool 1970's ranch in West Suburban Chicago. You can email him at bryan@prairiemod.com
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