In the heart of the Pacific Northwest, a fan-favorite institution is experiencing a renaissance.
Burgerville, a 38-unit chain that has been a staple for over six decades, is opening its first new store in eight years in Wilsonville, Oregon, in early August.
The new location—with a modernized design—comes with digital menuboards and self-service kiosks. From an equipment standpoint, there hasn’t been a lot of change. There are a few items, like fryers with better recovery times. A third-party consultant was brought in to conduct studies on time and motion to lay out the lines more appropriately. The idea was to make jobs easier for employees, which in turn benefits guests. The restructuring of the mechanics and station layouts optimizes flow and ensures hot food and cold items like burgers and milkshakes all arrive together at the same time.
It’s the first of several openings slated for 2024 with debuts in Salem and Keizer, Oregon, set for the fall. CEO Ed Casey says the company should reach at least 70 stores in five years. More than 100 potential Pacific Northwest locations have been identified.
“As we grow, we want to focus on the contiguous markets where we have a lot of brand equity and a lot of demand,” the CEO says. “People have been wanting one for years and years that trade up into the Portland market and want one in their hometown. So we know we’re going to be very well-received in these new locations. But Wilsonville is really about opportunity and timing.”
The restaurant debut marks a pivotal moment in the brand’s evolution, with the company undergoing a key leadership change and several operational improvements. Founded on principles of local sourcing, sustainability, and community support, Burgerville had garnered a loyal following across Oregon and Washington. However, in recent years, the company faced challenges with operational efficiency and maintaining consistent quality across its locations.
Casey recognized these issues and saw an opportunity to restore the brand to its former glory when he joined the company in January 2022.
“I was a lapsed user to be honest because the service times had become chronically poor and the consistency from unit to unit wasn’t doing very well,” he says. “And so we just stopped using it, and I knew there were a lot of other people that were in that same category. So for me, it was just such an upside opportunity and something that I was really interested in because I love what the brand stands for.”
Then earlier this year, Burgerville announced that it sold a portion of itself to a local group of investors, including Casey and former Dutch Bros CEO Joth Ricci, who is now executive chairman. The Mears family, founders of the brand, are still stakeholders.
The partnership is part of a planned multi-year growth strategy for the burger company. The investors are predominantly individuals and groups from the Pacific Northwest who understand and have a strong affinity “for this local iconic brand,” Casey says. There was significant interest in getting involved, which led to an oversubscription of potential investors. This gave the opportunity to select experts who align with the company’s ethos—working with local ranches and farmers, supporting local economies and communities, and practicing sustainability. The chosen group shares these values and has the capital to bring Burgerville to underserved markets.
“A lot of great things this brand has done for the communities and for their employees, but they didn’t take care of themselves very well,” Casey says. “It was a big opportunity for me. And I could see if we could really streamline the operations to get the food out quicker and meet the demand. It’s really a struggle when you take over a brand that doesn’t have a lot of brand loyalty or a lot of customer demand. But in this case where you have a tremendous amount of demand and you’re just not really meeting it, it gives you so much opportunity. And so I knew if we worked together and got our stores performing back at industry standard levels or even close to it, that we have tremendous upside potential.”
The main focus has been on improving throughput and speed of service. With a menu that goes beyond the usual fast-food fare, the chain emphasizes “good food fast.” However, while customers appreciate the made-from-scratch approach and are willing to wait a bit longer for their meals, the company recognized a need to streamline operations. The goal is that once an order is placed, the food reaches the customer’s hands promptly without causing congestion or delays. As a result, Burgerville reduced its throughput time by approximately 50 percent. The chain also implemented a kiosk pilot program, allowing guests to customize their orders and manage the process independently.
Beyond operational enhancements, Burgerville targeted menu innovation and customer engagement. Responding to feedback, the company reintroduced popular seasonal items like sweet potato fries and strawberry shortcake while introducing new, innovative dishes that cater to evolving tastes.
“We’ve had a lot of tremendous feedback on bringing back favorites as well as new menu items and being able to deliver that in a timely manner,” Casey says.
Within two years, Burgerville saw a 30 percent increase in sales—a testament to both the pent-up demand for its offerings and the effectiveness of operational upgrades. During the first week of July, the brand’s sales were 20 percent better than last year.
The plan is to open at least five new locations in 2025. The group of investors, after evaluating their resources and the market, found that the real challenge in the industry is finding suitable areas. Drive-thrus are in great demand, and many municipalities are not permitting new locations, which means brands are going after second-generation opportunities. There is significant competition for these sites, so a thoughtful strategy in real estate and development is essential.
“We’re very excited to be growing both for our employees and for our guests,” Casey says. “We have so much pent-up demand in these contiguous markets where they’ve had exposure of Burgerville over the years, but they’ve never had one in their local markets. And being able to bring our product and our kind of ‘serve with love’ attitude into these new markets for us is a big part of our mission. We’re just excited about being able to move forward.”