As one of 11 concepts within the portfolio of Back of the House Inc., a San Francisco–based hospitality company, Super Duper Burgers leverages resources shared across a team of expert restaurateurs.

Back of the House was started by Adriano Paganini, a chef who built up the Pasta Pomodoro chain of casual Italian restaurant restaurants in the ’90s and early 2000s before exiting the business in 2009 and opting to explore new concept development. That first led to two full-service eateries and then to Super Duper.

“Every time we’ve done a new concept, it’s because we really get excited about one specific product,” Paganini says. “At that time, we got really excited about burgers, so we spent months and months developing this burger concept.”

Super Duper offers high-quality, customizable burgers, as well as a chicken sandwich, a veggie burger, and a salad. Sides include french fries served plain or topped with garlic and aged cheddar cheese. The menu also features milkshakes, ice cream cones, and beer and wine.

While the first location saw marginal success, the second location on San Francisco’s popular Market Street had a line out the door on opening day. Paganini says that location forced the company to learn new efficiencies in how to cook high-quality food quickly.


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“We were coming from full service, but we were creating a new segment: quick service with the food quality of full service,” he says. “Everything is cooked to order.”

Back of the House plans to saturate the Bay Area with Super Duper locations before exploring new markets.

Emerging Concepts, Fast Casual, Growth, Story, Super Duper Burgers