Article

Jersey cupcake, burger concept gearing up for growth

Made-from-scratch dessert recipes are helping the business thrive.

March 12, 2013 by Cherryh Cansler — Editor, FastCasual.com

Combining his wife's love of cupcakes with his dream of opening a burger joint, Rick Ross launched BUCU Burger Bar & Bakery in 2011 in New Jersey. Rick owned a full-service restaurant in the 1980s, and he believes that his experience, along with Cathy Ross' cupcake recipes, will add up to a thriving business. So far, so good.

"Our sales have been growing from day 1," Ross said. "We have never had a down month, and year over year same-store sales were up 11 percent in 2012. 2013 is looking even better as the bakery is already up 57 percent for the first two months and store sales are up for both months."

Belly up to the bars

Although the restaurant has two bars, customers won't find booze at either one. Instead, they may choose between the Burger Bar or the Bakery & Milk Bar. (Click here to see a slideshow of photos.)

The Burger Bar's meat is a proprietary mix from NYC butcher Pat LaFreida and allows customers to choose all elements of their burgers from the bun and meat to toppings and sauces.

The Bakery & Milk Bar serves made-from-scratch cupcakes, cookies, frozen yogurt and customizable cookie-ice cream sandwiches. The restaurant has several standard cupcake flavors, but also gets creative with options such as Pina Colada, Nutella, marshmallow and PB and J.

"The cupcake recipes are derived from actual cake recipes with each one being unique," Ross said. "Our signature S'Mores cookie is a crowd favorite and some guests even have us warm it or spin it into a shake."

Although BUCU is burger- and cupcake-focused, the menu also includes several items to appeal to diners who have a craving for something else. Wings, Turkey and Veggie Burgers, Artisan sandwiches, a variety of Grilled Chicken choices and a recent Philly CheeseSteak special are also on the menu. For healthy eaters, BUCU offers a Build-Your-Own Salad section, where guests can create their own or select from one of three soup selections. The brand also makes house-spun shakes and custom cookie ice cream sandwiches.

Expanding the brand

Although BUCU is just one unit at this time, Ross is in the process of putting together a licensing agreement to allow expansion into the North Jersey/New York area and also into the Middle East and Europe.

"There is growing interest in our brand and concept," he said.

Read more about franchising and growth.

About Cherryh Cansler

---

Cherryh Cansler is VP of Events for Networld Media Group and publisher of FastCasual.com. She has been covering the restaurant industry since 2012. Her byline has appeared in Forbes, The Kansas City Star and American Fitness magazine, among many others.

Connect with Cherryh: