Tradition Reigns Supreme; Schweid & Sons Releases 2015 Burger Trend Report

NEW YORK -- It's been a busy year in the burger industry: from new ground beef blends to the 'meat on meat' craze, one thing remains true – America loves its burgers. Schweid & Sons, a family-owned and operated fourth generation ground beef purveyor, went out far and wide in 2015, conducting a comprehensive study on all things burger-related that yielded the2015 Burger Trends Report.*

"What we have seen from the 2015 report is that some things may never change in the burger business," says Jamie Schweid, Executive Vice President of Schweid & Sons. "The classic Hamburger will always be made with 80/20 ground chuck, covered in American cheese and served on a squishy bun."

A Look at 2015 Burger Trends

The burger is one of the most talked about items in the restaurant industry and 2015 held its own surprises and revelations for America's beloved dish.

• Meat on meat proved to be the biggest trend in 2015. Bacon was tops with 97% of people adding the sizzling protein onto their burger, while chili and pulled pork came in second and third with 14% and 12% of diners adding these as toppings, respectively.
• People are over the plain white (bun). The light yet sturdy brioche bun proves to be a top for tops and bottoms, as 38% of the highest selling burgers from all restaurants surveyed featured this type of bread.  It proves that people want a bun that is supple but can stand up to their 'meat-on-meat,' thicker, juicier burger.
• Americans love American, cheese. The classic choice's melty, gooey nature makes it the go to for 75% of burger lovers. Cheddar, Swiss and Gouda were the runners up.
• Classics never go out of style. 61% of diners put tomatoes as their prime pick for a vegetable topping over other items such as lettuce, avocado, mushrooms and pickles.

The Future of Burgers

With 2016 just weeks away, Schweid has reflected on 2015 findings and evolution within the industry to share his predictions for the year ahead:

• Beef will be better than ever. The ground beef industry is focused on creating a better eating experience for everyone by breeding the best cattle possible using bio and DNA technology. More and more farmers are embracing DNA technology and breeding cattle that continuously renders the most marbled beef, which ultimately renders better beef blends.
• Au naturel. The demand for natural beef and all-natural ground beef blends is on the rise. As natural beef has become more mainstream, we are seeing more and more consumer demand for the product and expect it to continue in 2016.
• The 'meat on meat' trend is here to stay. It's just too good. Bacon will continue to thrive as the most-used protein to top burgers, but we anticipate we will see a shift to trying a variety of smoked bacons instead.
• People will get saucy. Bacon jams and aioli blends are on the rise as toppings and will continue to gain popularity because of the unique added flavor they give.
• There is one, and only one, cheese in the heart of Americans. As much as we search for the next big thing in cheese, American will continue to dominate the field.
• Soft buns will stay on top (and bottom). In addition to brioche, soft rolls of all sorts will rule as the favorite (including my personal favorite, the potato roll.) We'll see an increase in more health conscious buns like whole wheat, but it will remain a very small piece of the market.
• Cattle levels are going to be up. All signs point to more cattle being available to the market come 2016. Data shows that fruits of this labor will result in larger supply from the previous year, come springtime. While, the supply will not be near the inventory levels of four or five years ago, but the recovery the industry has been forecasting is finally here.

Overall, Schweid sums up 2016 with a simple prediction: "When all is said and done, no matter how many options are on a restaurant's burger menu, the simple Cheeseburger will always be the most popular one."

*The 2015 Burger trend report was compiled based on sales figures from Schweid & Sons customers across the country, which consists of predominantly single-unit operators and independent restaurants.