Burgernomics: Are Your Burgers Hitting Their Sales Targets?

Are your buns declining your margins through lost sales opportunities?

So, we know from previous research that a whopping 1.3 billion burgers are consumed annually in the UK¹ accounting for 17% of all eating-out-occasions². But did you also know that the total eating-out market reached £96.4 billion in 2023³? Or that consumers will pay 58% more for a gourmet burger⁴!?

The revenue opportunity presented by gourmet buns is clear – so how can operators maximise this to benefit their bottom line?

We have identified that the key to unlocking this opportunity is a quality bun! New research by our team at Americana has shown that on average 69% of a burger in the bun!⁵ This equates to over 2/3 of the burger and shows the importance the bun plays in terms of first impressions and delivering a quality burger meal that consumers are prepared to pay more for!

We analysed over 100 burgers and discovered that on average 69% of a burger is the bun!

The Americana team spent a day analysing over 100 different burgers from the out-of-home market looking at the height of the burger, bun height, and the types of fillings to understand how this translated into the economics of burger pricing. We then recorded every aspect of each burger and categorised them into three tiers: Classic fast-food, Added Value, and Gourmet.

The typical features of a Classic Fast-Food burger were a plain bun with traditional fillings such as a single beef patty, lettuce, tomato, and mayonnaise
Added Value burgers tended to be more visually impactful with a fuller patty, flavoured sauces such as Sriracha, and additional fillings like crispy onions or smoked
The most common features of a Gourmet Burger were glazed brioche buns, double patties with premium American Cheese and sauces, and fillings such as truffle mayonnaise and pickles.

And what about the pricing!?

When analysing pricing, our team found that burgers with a percentage of the bun being 69% or less had an average price tag of £9.80, whilst burgers that had a bun percentage of 69% or more averaged a price tag of £10.66⁶.

There is no questioning the importance of the quality of fillings in a burger

... however, we encourage operators to consider the quality of their bun too, to ensure it doesn’t let down the meal. We know that 92% of burger consumers feel it is important that the bun does not go soggy or fall apart⁷ and gourmet buns have a stronger structural integrity, so they don’t do this – no one likes a soggy bottom!