Tonyburgers’ Quest to Build A Better Burger

I recently interviewed the owners of Tonyburgers for a Standard-Examiner story.  Some interesting facts about this Utah-grown restaurant chain:

1. The owner isn’t named Tony. The owners are Chris and Nicole Carver of Kaysville. They named their original restaurant for Chris’s younger brother, Tony, who “who used to cook  us these really thick burgers when we were younger,” said Chris. “We called them Tonyburgers.”

They thought “Tonyburgers” rolled off the tongue better than “Chrisburgers” or “Nickiburgers.”  

2. They opened their initial Tonyburgers in Centerville in 2009. They now have seven locations: Centerville, Clinton, downtown Salt Lake City,  Holladay, South Jordan, West Valley and Herriman.

3. Their premium burgers start with patties made from a mix of three different cuts of beef: sirloin, chuck and brisket. Diners customize their burger from a long list of toppings and nine different sauces. The veggie toppings — lettuce, tomato, fresh onions, grilled onions, pickles, jalapenos and mushrooms — are free. Bacon, cheese, fried egg or onion straws cost extra.

A single, quarter-pound burger with only veggie toppings is $5.79. Prices go up with bigger or double patties and more toppings. (And with food and labor costs rapidly rising, I wouldn’t be surprised if that $5.79 price goes up soon.)

A favorite accompaniment is a shake made from hand-scooped hard ice cream (not the soft-serve type served at fast food spots).

4. When the Carvers set out to create what they deemed the best burger in Utah, neither had any restaurant experience. Back in 2008, they were building luxury homes in Park City when the housing market collapsed along with the economy. Owning a burger restaurant was Chris’s dream, so they decided to pursue it.

With the economic downturn, people were scaling back on expenses. Those who couldn’t afford to go out for steak anymore, might still treat themselves to a good burger instead.

5. Before opening, the Carvers went to lots of difference burger places — California, Texas, New York — looking for the best burger and what they could mimic.

They came up with precise amounts of the (listed above) three different beef cuts, created by Wasatch Meats.

“It’s really an art form to get the right amount of fat and proteins,” Chris said.  

They season the meat only with kosher salt. No pepper, garlic salt, or anything else.

“The flavor comes from the three cuts of meat,” said Chris Carver.

The flavor also comes from cooking on a chrome flat-top griddle. “Chrome doesn’t have the pores that some metals do, so there’s no flavor transfer from what was cooked on it before,” said Chris. “The meat also sticks to the grill better, so we get a good ‘crust,’ or caramelization that happens when you put a patty on a hot grill.”  

Chrome also emits less radiant heat, which keeps the kitchen area cooler.  

6. Their fries are thin-cut and fried twice in peanut oil. First they’re soaked, dried, then blanched in the fryer to cook on the inside, said Nicole. They’re cooled and fried again when the order is placed.

“We use 100 percent peanut oil, which is more expensive, but it helps with the crispness,” said Chris. “We tried other vegetable oils and it doesn’t taste the same.”

7. Although you choose your own toppings, there are a few “Manager Favorites” for folks who don’t want to think about it. One top seller is Tony’s Southern Burger, which gets a spicy kick from jalapenos and pepper jack cheese. It also has ranch dressing, BBQ sauce, and onion strings.

I’m So Bleu ($7.57) is topped with blue cheese crumbles, bacon, lettuce, tomato, and a garlic aioli sauce.

As a classic, there’s Ol’ Reliable, with American cheese, lettuce, tomato, fresh onions, pickles and Tony Sauce (similar to fry sauce).

“’My dad had a fishing lure he called ‘Ol Reliable,’ because he would always catch a fish with it,” said Chris Carver. “He passed away right before we opened, so I gave a shout out to him. t’s the classic burger that you can rely on.”

For non-red-meat eaters, there are a grilled chicken sandwich and Impossible Veggie burger.

8. The Carvers opened the first Tonyburgers before some of the national premium burger chains came to Utah. They opened in 2009 on Parrish Lane in Centerville, and were doing fine until In-n-Out Burger opened just a few blocks down the street.

“It killed us,” Nicole Carver said.

They ended up closing the Centerville store and moving to location in Clinton, which has a drive-through. Their downtown Salt Lake City location is now their best-selling store, Nicole said, crediting word of mouth for its success.  

In 2014, Tonyburgers returned to Centerville, near its initial location. These days, it’s pretty busy, even with In -N-Out still up the street.

9. Although the sign out front includes the word, “salad,” they’re not on the menu today. Salads were initially offered, “But when people walk in and smell the burgers, it’s really hard to order a salad,” said Nicole Carver. They were finally discontinued when the Covid pandemic hit and there was a need to simplify the menu.

“Our salads were really good, but it wasn’t worth it to continue down that road,” said Chris Carver.

10. Deep-fried cheese curds were another pandemic pivot, when takeout and third-party deliveries like Door Dash and Grub Hub became crucial.  

“Our fries don’t travel as well; we’ve tried venting and a bunch of different things. So we came up with a different side that travels better,” said Nicole Carver. “Our cheese curds are now a huge seller.”

11. Like other restaurants these days, the Carvers are challenged in attracting and keeping staff. Also they realize that many of their youthful employees may only be there for a year or two during high school or college, and will move on to other careers.

“We have a lot of really great employees that are a huge part of our success,” said Chris. “We can’t compete with national chains on pay and benefits, so we have to be more cooperative with their schedule and create an environment where they feel safe, and they have friends and owners who care. A lot of people will leave and come back a few years later because they realize not everyone treats them well.”

 

12. They like to go to places like Five Guys and Shake Shack to check out the competition. When they’re spotted eating out at other places, they sometimes get teased that they’re “cheating on their own restaurant.”