That is why year after year, we bring you our annual Burger Trends Report. Meticulously compiled by gathering intel from our valued customers across the country about their Burgers, menus and marketing, it gives you unprecedented insight into what’s trending and what is never going out of style (spoiler alert: American cheese is still the king.) This year, we’ve made it even more data-rich. New questions provide details about side items, restaurant size and marketing; the report now not only tells you what is a classic, but also what’s on trend, while also providing context in the overall business. In addition, it also sheds light on what social marketing channels are working to help drive in customers and raise customer satisfaction. Ultimately, this is intended to be a source of inspiration that paves the way for thoughtful creativity and calculated experimentation. We want to help you stay ahead and on top of trends in the restaurant business, give you that little edge over your competition, and separate you from the pack. Sure, you could trailblaze and just try to figure things out, but we get it, for the busy and overwhelmed operator, that takes a lot of time and can be financially risky.

1. SCHWEID & SONS 2016
BURGER
TRENDS
REPORT

2. How do you create the Very Best Burger? We know it
all starts with high-quality beef and then from there,
the sky is the limit. Buns, condiments, veggies, sauces, sizes,
preparations, price and customer service all factor into what
makes a successful Burger menu and restaurant.
That is why year after year, we bring you our annual Burger
Trends Report. Meticulously compiled by gathering intel from
our valued customers across the country about their Burgers,
menus and marketing, it gives you unprecedented insight into
what’s trending and what is never going out of style (spoiler
alert: American cheese is still the king.)
This year, we’ve made it even more data-rich. New questions provide details about side items, restaurant
size and marketing; the report now not only tells you what is a classic, but also what’s on trend, while also
providing context in the overall business. In addition, it also sheds light on what social marketing channels
are working to help drive in customers and raise customer satisfaction.
Ultimately, this is intended to be a source of inspiration that paves the way for thoughtful creativity and
calculated experimentation. We want to help you stay ahead and on top of trends in the restaurant business,
give you that little edge over your competition, and separate you from the pack. Sure, you could trailblaze
and just try to figure things out, but we get it, for the busy and overwhelmed operator, that takes a lot of time
and can be financially risky.
Instead, we did all the work and gathered the intel so you can make informed creative choices. So, how will
you differentiate yourself in 2016?
Smoke the Burger Joint
2016 Burger Trends Report

3. Whatistheaverage
Burgerpattysizebeing
servedinrestaurants?
uhjpl[
0%
8 oz. 5 oz. 7 oz. 4 oz. 6 oz. 3 oz.
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
45%
13% 11% 11%
6% 4%
Uncooked Weight
2016 Burger Trends Report
Photo Courtesy George Motz

4. Whattypeofbunis
usedonyourhighest
sellingBurger?
uhjpl[
0%
Brioche Plain
White
Potato
Rolls
Sesame CiabattaKaiser
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
45%
17%
14%
6% 4% 3%
2016 Burger Trends Report
Beer Army Burger Company, NC

5. Whatarethemost
populartypesofcheese
servedonBurgers?
uhjpl[
0%
American Cheddar Swiss Jack Blue Provolone
20%
40%
60%
80%
71% 67%
21%
8% 8% 4%
2016 Burger Trends Report
The Ainsworth, NYC

6. Whatarethemost
popularsaucesbeing
servedonBurgers?
uhjpl[
0%
Ketchup Mayo BBQ
Sauce
Chipotle
Mayo/Aioli
AioliSignature
Sauce
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
46%
31%
21%
27%
13% 12%
2016 Burger Trends Report
Smoke The Burger Joint, OH

7. Whatarethemostpopular
vegetabletoppingsbeing
servedonBurgers?
uhjpl[
0%
Tomato Lettuce Avocado PicklesMushroom Onion
Rings
Red
Onion
JalapeñoWhite
Onion
20%
10%
30%
40%
50%
46% 45%
23%
16% 15% 13%
11% 11% 6%
2016 Burger Trends Report
Photo Courtesy George Motz

8. Whatarethemostpopular
additionalproteinsbeing
servedonBurgers?
0%
Bacon Chili Pulled
Pork
Egg Canadian
Bacon
Ham
20%
40%
60%
80%
100% 95%
17% 16%
6% 5% 3%
uhjpl[
2016 Burger Trends Report
Black Iron Burger, NYC

9. Whatistheaverage
priceofBurgerson
restaurantmenus?
uhjpl[
8% 6%
10% 9%
6%
18%
5%
14%
0%
20%
10%
$5–
5.99
$6–
6.99
$7–
7.99
$8–
8.99
$9–
9.99
$10–
10.99
$11–
11.99
$12–
12.99
2016 Burger Trends Report
Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, NC

10. Whatarethemostpopular
typesofBurgerpatties?
uhjpl[
Pre-formed Hand Patty Smashed
62%
27%
7%
0%
20%
10%
30%
40%
50%
60%
2016 Burger Trends Report
Photo Courtesy George Motz

11. Whatarethemostpopular
typesofgroundbeefbeing
usedtomakeBurgers?
60%
31% 30%
19%
23%
14%
9% 7% 5%
Chuck All-Natural
(No Antibiotics,
No Hormones)
Brisket Angus USDAPrime Certified
Humane
Grass-Fed
0%
20%
10%
30%
40%
50%
60%
SirloinCertified
Angus Beef
®
2016 Burger Trends Report
Photo Courtesy George Motz

12. Whattemperatureare
customersaskingfortheir
Burgertobeservedat?
52%
42%
13%
6%
Medium Medium
Well
Medium
Rare
Well
0%
20%
10%
30%
40%
50%
60%
2016 Burger Trends Report

13. Whichratingsand
reviewsites doyou
checkregularly?
0%
Yelp Trip
Advisor
Google My
Business
Foursquare Open
Table
Zomato/
UrbanSpoon
Facebook Zagat
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
82%
57%
30%
18% 13% 12% 10% 7%
2016 Burger Trends Report
Photo Courtesy Jody Fellows

14. Howoftendoyoureply
toratingsandreviewson
websites?
33%
28% 27%
8%
4%
Weekly Never Daily Monthly Quarterly
0%
20%
30%
10%
2016 Burger Trends Report
Photo Courtesy Jody Fellows

15. Whichsocialnetworks
areyouusingtomarket
yourbusiness?
0%
Facebook Instagram Twitter Pinterest Snapchat Foursquare/
Swarm
YouTube
20%
40%
60%
80%
100% 98%
61% 58%
13% 12% 9% 9%
2016 Burger Trends Report
Joe’s Bar, NYC

16. Whichdiningsegmentbest
describesyourbusiness?
0%
Casual Fast
Casual
Quick
Serve
Family
Dining
Fine
Dining
10%
20%
30%
40% 38%
17%
27%
10% 8%
2016 Burger Trends Report
Chops Grille, NY

17. Doyouoffersideitems
withyourBurgersor
Àlacarte?
Side Items Come
With the Burger
Side Items Are
À La Carte
56%
44%
0%
20%
10%
30%
40%
50%
60%
2016 Burger Trends Report
Bad Daddy’s Burger Bar, NC

18. Whatareyourmost
popularBurgersideitems?
0%
French
Fries
Onion
Rings
Sweet
Potato
Fries
Salad Curly
Fries
Chips
20%
40%
60%
80%
100%
93%
31% 28%
13% 5% 5%
2016 Burger Trends Report
Rhinebeck Bagel, NY

19. Howmanylocations
doesyourbusinesshave
(samebrand)?
56%
14%
6% 3%4% 5% 5% 5%
0%
20%
10%
30%
40%
50%
60%
1 2 3 4 5 6-
10
10-
100
100-
500
2016 Burger Trends Report

20. Schweid & Sons is a family-owned fourth generation ground beef
purveyor, supplying restaurants, grocers and special events across
the nation. In the late 1800s, Harry Schweid began selling quality meats
to butchers and restaurants in New York City’s Lower East Side. By the
1930s, his son Sam Schweid continued in his father’s footsteps and
established a successful meat shop in Harlem.
In 1978, Sam’s son David Schweid took his family’s long withstanding
heritage in the meat purveyor industry and founded Schweid & Sons,
a company that would focus on one product – ground beef. Today,
that same passion, commitment and work ethic is carried on here at
Schweid & Sons through David and his two sons Jamie and Brad, all
with a dedication to producing the best tasting, highest quality Burger.
Located in Carlstadt, New Jersey, our mission is to bring “The Very Best Burger” to customers by offering a range of
high quality ground beef blends and products. All our ground beef is inspected or certified before it enters our shop. We
have received a Safe Quality Food (SQF) Level 3 Certification, the highest level given by the World Standard for Safety
initiative. We use the same suppliers year-round to guarantee consistent quality and flavor with each Burger and ground
beef blend. There is no aged steak, no bench trimmings or any artificial coloring in any of our ground beef products.
We carry a full spectrum of Angus, Certified Angus Beef®, All-Natural, Wagyu, USDA Prime®, Hereford, Grassfed,
Choice and Custom Blends. A wide selection of pre-formed Burgers in different bulk shapes and sizes. The All Natural
blend comes from family farm-raised cattle and is Angus beef without any antibiotics, hormones or steroids; our Katana
(Wagyu) blend is a highly-marbled USDA Wagyu® beef with no added hormone or antibiotics; and the Grassfed Standard
is humanely handled grass-fed cattle which makes for a healthier Burger without skimping on the flavor. Additionally, our
award-winning Butcher’s Blend is made from a proprietary blend of chuck round and sirloin that creates that sought after
steak flavor in a juicy Burger.
We are proud to supply our high quality ground beef to Burger fanatics Nationwide for nearly 40 years and we thank you
for giving us the opportunity to continue serving you.
Jamie Schweid – President | David Schweid – Chairman | Brad Schweid – EVP
2016 Burger Trends Report

21. METHODOLOGY
The Schweid & Sons 2016 Burger Trends Report was compiled by surveying a
diverse mix of restaurants—from big chain operators to small, local, trend-setting
establishments—from coast to coast.
Recipients were invited for many questions to select more than one answer or write
in additional suggestions. Responses that received less than 3% selection were not
included in the report; all data was also rounded to the nearest whole number.
The data graphs in this report are meant to serve as a topline summary of the total
results. They are not a complete representation of all responses.
2016 Burger Trends Report

22. facebook.com/schweidandsons
twitter.com/schweidandsons
instagram.com/schweidandsons
pinterest.com/schweidandsons
linkedin.com/company/burger-maker-inc-
For retail & supermarket business inquiries, contact Todd Krc
tkrc@schweidandsons.com
For food service business inquiries, contact Bill Schmitt
bschmitt@schweidandsons.com
For marketing and public relations business inquiries, contact Rev Ciancio
rciancio@schweidandsons.com
CONTACT
ONLINE
schweidandsons.com