Fatburger is an American fast casual restaurant. It specializes in delicious hamburgers and also serves other food items. Although the store is a fast food restaurant, meals are cooked and made to order, just the way customers want. The chain uses only the freshest ingredients and traditional cooking methods. There are no heat-lamps or microwaves in the stands. The store is known for its “fresh-never-frozen”, lean-beef, chicken, turkey, and veggie burgers and sandwiches. The store is also known for its “hand-scooped real ice-cream” milkshakes, as well as its “homemade-from-scratch” onion rings.

The corporate name for the restaurant is Fatburger, Inc. The company’s headquarters is located in Beverly Hills, California. The chain has been very successful over the years and has become very popular. The store was named in Entrepreneur’s magazine’s annual Franchise 500 list for three consecutive years starting from 1985. The store also offers online apparel referred to as “Fat Gear”. The restaurant is known as “the last great hamburger stand”.  Some stores have a liquor license and also have “Fat Bars”. The establishment provides a casual and relaxed atmosphere where customers can relax and enjoy their delicious fatburgers.

History

In 1947, Lovie Yancey opened a three-stool hamburger stand in Los Angeles, California. She used pieces of scrap materials to create this hamburger stand. The store was called “Mr. Fatburger”. Lovie Yancey came up with the name, inspired by the idea of a big burger with everything on it. She wanted to ensure that this image was distinctly portrayed to her customers. In 1952, Lovie Yancey dropped the “Mr.” from the name of the hamburger stand. The store then became “Fatburger”. Customers would custom-order their burgers from Lovie at the stand. Her customers included entertainers such as Redd Foxx and Ray Charles.

Lovie Yancey worked long days and nights at the hamburger stand. The word spread that Lovie’s burgers were the best burgers in town. As a result, she received numerous requests to keep her stand open later into the night. Lovie decided to open a second location in 1973. This second location was opened on La Cienega Boulevard in west Los Angeles. This location soon became a popular spot for late night party goers. Lovie started to offer franchises in 1981. In 1990, she sold the store to an investment company, Johnson Development Corporation, which was owned by Magic Johnson.

In 2003, Fog Cutter Capital Group, Inc. acquired the restaurant chain. The store was initially a California chain until the nineties when Lovie started franchising. The franchising led to the store’s expansion throughout the United States. The store further expanded after its acquisition by Fog Cutter Capital Group, Inc. Today, there are 200 restaurants in nineteen countries. Some of the U.S. locations can be found in the following states: California, Nevada, and Colorado. Examples of international locations include: Pakistan, Oman, Canada and the United Kingdom. All of these locations still make burgers the same way that Lovie did.

Fatburger has gained tremendous popularity as a result of references to the store in hip hop music. For example, “Going Back to Cali” by the Notorious BIG, “It Was A Good Day” by Ice Cube, and “Late Night” by Tupac Shakur. For a period of time in 2006, the chain was prohibited from selling additional franchises in California. The store has many celebrity investors. As mentioned before, Magic Johnson was an owner of the parent company. Montel Williams co-owns several locations in Colorado. Other celebrity owners and former owners include E-40, Queen Latifah, Pharrell, and Kanye West.

Review

The menu offers a variety of burgers made-to-order in different sizes and quantities. The sizes are small, medium, and large. The quantities refer to the number of patties, whether it be two or three. For example, customers can order XXL for two large patties, or XXXL for three large patties. The store also offers Skinnyburgers, Turkeyburgers, and Veggieburgers. Prices for the burgers range from $2 to $10, depending on the size and quantity ordered. The burgers come with “the works”, which include mayonnaise, lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, relish, and mustard. These items are optional and come at no additional cost.

Customers may also order add-ons, sides, and drinks for an extra cost. Add-ons include cheese, bacon, eggs, chili, onion rings, and also the option of a gluten free bun. Add-ons are around $1. Sides include fat fries, skinny fries, chili cheese fries, and onion rings. These sides range from $3 to $5. The hand-scooped milkshakes come in different flavors, such as chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, cookies and ice cream, and Maui banana. The milkshakes are priced between $4 and $5. Other beverages such as sodas, iced tea, and lemonade are also offered and are between $2 and $3. The store also provides nutritional information and allergen information on its website.

Aside from burgers, the restaurant also serves sandwiches. Different types of sandwiches include the Grilled Chicken Sandwich, Crispy Chicken sandwich, Cajun Chicken sandwich, and the Sausage and Egg sandwich. The sandwiches are priced between $5 and $7. The Fat Salad consists mostly of lettuce, with the option of adding on chicken. The Fat Salad is between $3 and $4. The restaurant also serves Hot Dogs and Chili Dogs, which are between $4 and $5. The chain also offers various Meals, such as the Small Meal, Medium Meal, Large Meal, Chicken Meal, Veggie Meal and Turkey Meal. The Meals consist of the selected burger served with fries and a drink. Prices for the Meals range from $9 to $11.

The restaurant’s hours of operation vary according to location, but are generally around 10:00 a.m. to 10:00 p.m. Customers may dine-in or take their food to-go. The chain provides fast casual service so reservations are not taken. The restaurant also provides quick and efficient delivery service. The stores are clean and the service is great. The staff is very friendly and helpful. The burgers are definitely the customer favorite. Many guests have stated that the burgers are the best they have ever tasted. The milkshakes are also highly recommended. The food is quite tasty and the portions are satisfying and filling. Overall, customers seem to enjoy the entire Fatburger dining experience.