The Farm Burger is topped with “breakfast” ingredients, including Gifford’s bacon, country ham, maple mustard and an over-easy egg. | Photos courtesy of Pharmacy Burger
Burgers appear on 40% of menus, according to data from Restaurant Business sister company, Technomic, and cheese leads as the top add-on at 43%.
Americans obviously love their cheeseburgers. That’s not changing, reports POS provider Toast in its 2024 release of top burger trends. But consumers may be purchasing fewer, as the average price of a cheeseburger has risen by 20% in just a few years, from $9.74 in 2019 to $11.74 in 2023. And burger fans may be looking for more regional flavors and creative toppings as we move into 2025, according to Toast.
At the three locations of Pharmacy Burger in Nashville, Director of Operations Daniel Frazier makes a point of incorporating local ingredients and food culture into the more than a dozen burgers on the menu. The White Oak BBQ Burger, for example, features a house-made Coca Cola barbecue sauce infused with onions smoked with Tennessee white oak and layered with provolone and Gifford’s bacon, produced by a Nashville smokehouse.
The buns are also local. “Our yeast rolls are made by a Nashville bakery and are exclusive to us. They’re slightly softer and doughier, and we toast them to order,” Frazier said.
He also introduced a rotating Nashville Burger Time Machine menu paying homage to burgers from local restaurants that have gone out of business. Leading off the series was a burger from Rotier’s, in operation from 1945-2021. Pharmacy recreated its signature burger on French bread with a grilled beef patty, extra cheddar cheese, lettuce, tomato, onion and pickles.
Pharmacy Burger also goes in for innovative toppings. The Stroganoff Burger is covered with a decadent mushroom stroganoff bechamel, sour cream, caramelized onions and Swiss cheese, and condiments including maple mustard, horchata crema fresca and chipotle avocado aioli highlight several builds and are options for custom burgers.
“We’ve always been in the forefront with innovative toppings,” said Frazier.
The patties are a generous seven ounces and prices run $12 to $15. Although slightly higher than Toast’s average, these burgers are hefty and come with a side, offering good value.
Pharmacy’s White Oak BBQ Burger boasts local flavors and taps the “loaded burger” trend.
“Loaded burgers” are another one of the 15 burger trends cited by Toast, with this callout: “Loaded burgers take indulgence to the next level, featuring an abundance of toppings … the enduring love for comfort food suggests that loaded burgers are here to stay. Their appeal lies in the fusion of flavors and the sheer enjoyment they provide, ensuring their place on menus for years to come.”
Although more of a mainstay than a trend, plant-based burgers are singled out as well, as Toast believes they have staying power. While the report attributes this to “the significant investments in plant-based food technologies and the increasing variety of products …,” consumers seem to be pulling away from the meat analogs to more natural vegetable-based patties.
While the Vegan Pharmacy Burger features an Impossible patty topped with vegan cheddar, the Black Bean Burger and Falafel Burger have both been on the menu longer and start with vegetables. The black bean patty is topped with guacamole, pico de gallo and chipotle avocado aioli, while the vegetarian falafel burger starts with a chickpea patty that’s topped with yogurt raita, goat cheese, tomato and onion.
Among Toast’s other trends in the top 15 are few surprises. Smashburgers, global influences, sliders, unique bun variations, artisanal ingredients, spicy variants, sustainable practices, breakfast burgers and unique cooking techniques are all included in the list.
Pharmacy hits almost every one of these points. Its signature Farm Burger is layered with Gifford’s bacon, country ham, maple mustard and an over-easy egg, qualifying it as a breakfast burger, and the Chipotle Slap Burger is smashed to caramelize the edges. Sliders are coming on the menu next.
But bun variations are not on the restaurant’s radar; the locally baked yeast rolls will remain the only carrier. Customers love them and they complements every burger on the menu.
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