Bristol Business of the Week - The Burger Joint

Bristol Business of the Week - The Burger Joint

Posted on: 15 May 2017

We get the low down from Dan Bekhradnia, Managing Director of The Burger Joint, about his experience of bringing Bristol's favourite meat-in-bun restaurant into fruition. 

Dan Bekhradnia - owner of The Burger Joint

When did The Burger Joint open its doors and can you give us a brief history of the restaurant? 

We opened in July 2009 - so just coming up to our 8th birthday. We started off in a small shop on Cotham hill and as business improved we started searching for a bigger location. In 2012 we moved over to Whiteladies Road and never looked back. Since then we have opened in Bedminster in 2014 and Fishponds last year. The concept is still the same but the menu is about double the size from when we launched it in 2009. 

 

 

Are you from Bristol?

No I moved here in 2003 to study at university. Once I graduated in 2007 I was desperate to stay and opening a restaurant here was a great reason to. After 14 years I definitely see Bristol as home now, and after a couple of drinks a West Country twang starts to appear in my voice.

 

The Burger Joint burger

How would you describe the food you make? What is your speciality?

We're all about the burgers of course. But we leave it to our customers to design their perfect burger. We have a pretty comprehensive range of burgers, toppings, sauces and sides - almost all made in house using locally sourced products where possible.

Allowing our customers complete freedom to create their own burger does lead to some pretty wacky combinations. I was just serving a burger yesterday to someone who went for kangaroo with pineapple, blue cheese, tortilla chips, peanut butter and tzatziki. A slightly unorthodox combo.

 

 

Do you cater to vegetarians and vegans?

Of course. We are incredibly proud of our vegetarian and vegan options at The Burger Joint and feel w have the biggest selection and best-quality veggie burgers in the city. We have three veggie patties and one vegan one, which are all made in house and have been perfected over a long time. We have an impressive selection of veggie/vegan toppings and sauces as well. You are certainly not just limited to a couple of options at The Burger Joint.

 

What are the challenges and bonuses of running an independent business?

There are a huge number of challenges that I have faced in the 9 years since I decided to open my own business.

The biggest ongoing challenge is staffing. Training, recruiting, retaining, keeping them happy and motivated etc. is a constant struggle and one that takes a lot of my time. However if you train your staff correctly and treat them well, they can be your biggest asset. Getting staff to buy into the concept of the business is probably easier as an independent business than a chain and if they do this they become ambassadors for the business.

The Burger Joint Clifton

What advice would you give to others who are considering doing the same?

Ensure you have a passion for what you're doing and that you're not just in it for the money. Be prepared for the business to take over your life. If you're not then don't open. You must be willing to devote your whole life to it. If you're not then you will probably fail.

 

When you aren’t working, where are your favourite places to eat and drink in the city?

So many to mention. Bristol has become the most exciting and wonderful city for food. It's just hard to keep up with all the new openings. 3 restaurants I'm very keen on right now are Bravas, Kuch (on Whiteladies Road) and Pigsty in Wapping Warf. I have a list as long as my arm of new places I want to try out though.

 

More generally, where is your favourite place in Bristol?

The Downs is very special to me and I love to go for a walk or run around there a couple of times a week. I've always lived near and it's an amazing place - as long as the wind isn't up anyway.

Ashton court is also beautiful and we're so lucky to have places like this on our doorstep. I used to regularly go and play golf there but I decided it wasn't fair on others as my constant hacking of the grass was ruining the picturesque views.

The Burger Joint Bristol

Do you have any special events going on this summer?

We are always selling burgers at a few external events in the summer and this year is no different. As well as catering at a few weddings, we will also be at the following events flipping burgers over the summer: North Street party and the Rainbow Run on the Downs on 17th June. Pride at the Amphitheatre on 8th July and the Harbour Festival in Castle Park on 22/23 July. We love being involved in these events and can't wait to get back outside.

 

If you were Mayor of Bristol for the day what would you change?

What a great question! I would probably attempt to expedite the roadworks on the M32. They're taking forever and are driving me crazy. And then create a specific holiday In Bristol to celebrate this wonderful city where everyone comes together for a huge party on the Downs. With us serving burgers to everyone, naturally.

 

For more information about The Burger Joint, or to book a table, head to their website.

The locations of the restaurants are as follows: 

Clifton - 83 Whiteladies Road, Bristol BS8 2NT   01173 290887

Bedminster - 240 North Street, Bristol BS3 1JD  01173 292790

Fishponds - 773 Fishponds Road, Bristol BS16 3BS  01179 657690


Article by:

Sam Mason-Jones

An ardent Geordie minus the accent, Sam seemingly strove to get as far away from the Toon as possible, as soon as university beckoned. Three undergraduate years at UoB were more than ample time for Bristol (as it inevitably does) to get under his skin, and so here he remains: reporting, as Assistant Editor, on the cultural happenings which so infatuated him with the city. Catch him at sam@365bristol.com.