A juicy, cheese-topped burger is hard to beat. In fact, burgers are the third fastest growing item in foodservice, after breakfast sandwiches and French fries¹. Restaurants that want to stay on top of burger trends are upping their game with creativity, from mash-up burgers to fun alternatives.
Restaurants are incorporating more and more vegetarian-friendly recipes due to demand: in 2019, 32% of consumers said that they were eating vegetarian options/substitutes compared to two years ago². Many operators are also paying more attention to the quality of their meat products, and creating truly “craveable burgers.”³ All of these options can be enhanced with cheese, which is the number one flavour that consumers crave⁴. Looking to hop on the latest burger trends? Here are some inventive ideas to update your menu.

Beetroot Veggie Burger

It’s a classic veggie patty with an earthy twist made from beets, chickpeas, brown rice, and seasonings. As a finishing touch, place a slab of Haloumi cheese on top. Haloumi stays firm when heated, with a salty flavour and squeaky texture. It also works well on salads, making it a great multi-use cheese: these menu inspirations are just the tip of the iceberg. Check out how to integrate Haloumi cheese into your menu in many different ways.

Smoky Corn Succotash Burger

Another tasty veggie option, this juicy corn succotash burger is a guaranteed winner! Diners will love the patty’s sweet and spicy profile, thanks to a combo of corn, jalapeño, zucchini, breadcrumbs, and seasonings. We suggest topping it with firm, fruity Cantonnier cheese. This burger’s full-bodied flavour is sure to please both vegetarians and carnivores alike!

Triple Onion Chicken Burger

Give carnivores something new and exciting to taste with a juicy chicken patty. This finger-licking burger features onions three ways: shaved red onion, a sizzling onion ring, and a savoury onion bun. As a melty finishing touch, add some Medium Cheddar cheese. If you have extra chicken left over, you can create new revenue opportunities by offering customers the option to add more protein to a dish⁵ – for example, extra chicken strips on top of a burger, or in a salad.

Oktoberfest Burger

It may be called the Oktoberfest burger, but it’s delicious enough to be served all year long. This hearty dish features a pork and beef combo patty between a pretzel bun, with Black pepper Cantonnier cheese, caramelized onions, sauerkraut, and Meaux mustard. It’s a flavour profile fit for a German brauhaus, and one that touches on the burger trend of mixing different meats within a single dish⁶.

Hawaiian Burger

Bold, complex flavours are a crowd-pleaser these days⁷, and 41% of consumers say sweet and spicy is their favorite flavour combo⁸. This Hawaiian-inspired burger checks all those boxes and more, made with statement ingredients like Monterey Jack with Jalapeño cheese, avocado, pineapples, banana peppers, and sweet-and-sour sauce. Using avocado is a great way to appeal to the millennial crowd⁹, and combining fruit with savoury ingredients to create contrasting pops of flavour is set to be a major trend in 2020¹⁰.

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¹ The NDP Group Inc. CREST YE May 2018
² Technomic, 5 key trends for 2020 Canada
³ Technomic Global Menu trends 2020
⁴ The Technomic Food Flash - Feb 2018
⁵ Technomic Global Menu trends 2020
⁶ Technomic Global Menu trends 2020
⁷ Canadian Food Service Digest – January 2018
⁸ Technomic Food Flash – Feb 2018
⁹ Technomic Global Menu trends 2020
¹⁰ Technomic Global Menu trends 2020