Chicago's beef obsession might become more expensive than ever. As reported in Nation's Restaurant News, experts expect more than an eight percent rise in beef prices for 2013, exceeding the record set in June. Your favorite burger and steak joints will probably raise prices, introduce more non-beef menu items, and use fattier cuts of meat. Higher quality grain-fed beef is less susceptible than corn-fed beef, but already higher priced. "If you're serving corn-fed prime beef at a steakhouse, you're really going to have to consider menu price hikes," David Friedman, founder of Epic Burger said. "And also less-expensive cuts."
Speaking of Epic Burger: On the heels (or hooves) of the report in Crain's last week, Friedman says he's looking at two or three "key suburbs" to expand into next year. Then he'll look at Indianapolis, Madison, Milwaukee, and Detroit. He wants the Chicago chain to grow from the Midwest out, making the Epic Burger franchise "as big as it can be." In three-to-six months he'll have more specifics about the growth plan. More to come.
· Beef prices expected to exceed record highs in 2013 [NRN]
· All Coverage of Epic Burger [~ECHI~]
[Epic Burger's Founder via Facebook]