Burger & Lobster co-founder George Bukhov talks to Noella Pio Kivlehan about his stripped-back menu and £20 burgers
As restaurant concepts go, Burger & Lobster’s couldn’t be simpler. It’s menu consists of one burger and three lobster meal choices. That’s it.
Not great if you are a vegetarian or allergic to seafood (or just don’t like it). Added to the lack of choice is the cost of the few dishes – each one is £20. Yes, £20 for a burger. So, a great deal for lobster eaters – typical lobster dishes can cost on average £40 – but hefty for meat in a bap.
However, the concept is working. Customers are flocking to the restaurants. And having opened the first B&L in Mayfair in 2011, the Muscovites behind the successful Goodman restaurant chain, which has three sites in London’s Mayfair, Canary Wharf and the City, are planning on global success.
George Bukhov is one of the Russian partners in the business. Sitting in private members’ club Little House Mayfair, part of the Soho House Group, Bukhov talks enthusiastically and passionately about B&L. He is also very keen to talk about the expansion plans, the idea behind the concept, and to defend the price of that burger.
The story of Burger & Lobster began in Moscow. In 2000, two of Bukhov’s school friends – IIya Demichev and Mikhail Zelman (known as Misha) – opened a restaurant which grew into a US-style steak chain called Goodman. At the time, Bukhov was working as a media lawyer and then as a director of MTV Russia and VH1 Russia, but he eventually went into business with his friends.
As the Goodman brand wowed Moscow, expansion was on the cards. The partners’ desire to go to Europe was fuelled by another famous restaurant name. “In 2007, we met Alan Yau [founder of Wagamama] in Moscow, where he was doing consultancy work. He was having a series of meetings in our restaurant and he said, ‘guys Goodman will work in London’.”
It was through his connection with MTV, whose European HQ is in London, that Bukhov got to know the UK capital, making him the obvious choice to head operations here.
In 2007, Bukhov began scouting for sites. He says: “It was before the recession and here was me, this young Russian guy, wandering around saying I wanted to open an American restaurant – it was tough, but we succeeded.”
The first Goodman, a formal, yet relaxed steakhouse, opened on Maddox Street, W1, with the mantra of serving the best beef in the UK, with a focus on US wines. “We paid a premium for the site, then the recession started. People said, ‘guys, you are going to lose your money.’ But, because we had already opened, I said to my guys, ‘if we are going to lose our money, we will lose it with class.’”
Bukhov didn’t lose money, even though he admits it was tough at times. “People understood what we were doing,” he says.
In 2014, the partners offloaded Goodman in Russia. “We sold at the right time – it was not about selling, it was about focusing – we understood the operation was here in London.” Demichev and Zelman also moved to London, where they still manage Goodman.
By the time Goodman Russia was offloaded, B&L UK had been established three years. The idea behind the concept was, says Bukhov: “We were thinking of a younger concept – more casual dining with a lower spend. Also, surf and turf, which we had at Goodman. We were working separately on two different concepts: burgers and lobster.”
The decision to combine the two started as an experiment when the group took an Irish pub in Clarges Street in Mayfair. Financing came from money made through Goodman. The reason for having the limited menu was simply to make all the food as good as it could be. And this is how Bukhov and his partners justify the £20 price tag for the burger.
The company only uses the best cuts of beef. Bukhov says if customers want cheaper burgers, they will be getting cheaper cuts of beef.
With nine London restaurants, one in Manchester, one in Bath and one in Cardiff – there are also two Smack Lobster Rolls takeaways in London – the public has embraced the idea. “In the regions our burger sales are higher than in London,” says Bukhov. But, with more expansion on the cards, some in the industry are unconvinced by the restricted menu. One analyst says that to expand the chain needs to offer more items to really succeed.
Bukhov disagrees. The premise for B&L is to go to the large cities because, as he puts it: “The city is the menu – where people have so much choice. So this is where we fit in.” He adds: “Even if we wanted to expand the menu, it would be impossible because everything is billed and designed [for the four dishes]. It will ruin the whole process.”
The partners’ determination to stick to their guns is to be applauded. After all, the proof of the pudding – or, in this case, the burger and lobster – is in the eating.
The lobster issue
Lobster has always been regarded as high-end expensive food. Given the amount served in the expanding chain of Burger & Lobster, which gets through around 15 tonnes a week, could there be a question of supply?
No, says Bukhov, who looks after B&L international, UK and franchises, there is no issue over supply. “It is one of the most sustainable seafoods on earth,” he says. In fact, Bukhov’s partner, and founder of the Goodman chain, Mikhail Zelman, bought a share in a lobster company, cutting out dealers, in order to get cheaper prices.
Business growth
Location
The chain now has 13 UK sites and two overseas. The smallest is 3,500 sq ft, and the largest 11,500 sq ft, with between 75 and 300 covers. In addition to its nine London restaurants, B&L can be found in:
• Cardiff
• Manchester
• Bath
• New York
• Stockholm (franchise)
• Kuwait (opening this month)
Expansion
With the help of agent Davis Coffer Lyons, next year there are plans to open in Leeds, with the group looking at Birmingham, Liverpool, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen.
Bukhov says: “We look at locations and buildings with character, not on the high street. We believe people can turn a corner, but we want to be in a good area because it matches our price point.”
Bukhov believes B&L will have fulfilled its UK potential by 2017.
International growth is planned to have more franchises in Copenhagen, Olso and Dubai (which is opening in December). In the US, there are plans for the major cities, including Miami, Chicago, San Francisco and Los Angeles.
China is also on the table. Lobster is hugely popular in the Chinese community and the Soho restaurant has a large Chinese following.
Bukhov says: “We are very focused on our franchising partners and signing more, especially in Asia.”
