A Portland burger chain really wants to open a Tacoma restaurant

A Portland-based restaurant group known for serving fresh-beef burgers, including a peanut butter pickle bacon burger, and craft beer in a come-as-you-are setting is smitten with a certain South Sound city.

Killer Burger, now with 11 locations, has placed Tacoma at the very top of its list for franchise expansion, with eyes on opening a store here as soon as next year.

“It’s a big-time target,” director of development Brian Hebb told The News Tribune last week. “The kind of people who frequent Killer Burger — we sync up with the vibe in Tacoma very easily.”

Hebb is from Portland, but he has family and friends in the Tacoma area. The city’s mix of residents hits “the middle of our bullseye for demographics,” he said.

Founder TJ Southard, with partners Mark and Robin McCrary, opened the first Killer Burger in Portland’s Hollywood neighborhood in 2010. (The McCrarys left the company in 2016 and opened a similar restaurant, which led to a lawsuit.)

The concept centers on classic American burgers with a little bit of a twist — but not over the top, as was the style of the “gourmet” burger trend at the time — paired with local craft beers and “perfectly crispy” fries in a “rock’n’roll” setting.

The goal, said Hebb, is what he calls a consistently better burger: “You want a burger, and you want it to be good, and we’re gonna give it to you every single time.”

Fresh, not frozen, beef from a Portland-based purveyor forms the foundation of each third-pound patty. Guests can choose to “make it a fatty” by adding a second patty to any burger, or to “bomb it” with a spicy house sauce. Though not cut in house, fries are carefully selected, and staff is highly trained in managing heat and moisture to create a memorable fry, said Hebb.

Killer Burger’s menu features nine (or sometimes 10) house burgers, the most famous of which is the Peanut Butter Pickle Bacon burger, which is what it sounds like with the addition of grilled onions, mayonnaise and a house special sauce. Other creations include the Red Molly topped with cheesesteak-style meat, brined red peppers and provolone; the Bender with spicy barbecue and crispy jalapenos; the Teemah with bleu cheese and the Fun Guy with mushrooms and Swiss “fondue.” The Classic sticks with old-school shredded lettuce, and the Old Fashioned with sweet pickles and yellow mustard.

Every burger, stacked just so to keep it intact, comes standard with bacon, and the price ($11.75-$14.15) includes fries. Guests can choose to skip the side and save $1.50, and can add or omit ingredients as desired.

Aside from occasional tweaks rooted in preference, dietary restrictions or allergies, Hebb insists that once you try a Killer Burger, you’ll learn to trust the menu.

Take that peanut butter pickle burger: Hebb pointed to Thai food, where sour and acidic notes blend deliciously with meat and peanuts. “These are flavors that work together,” he said, “and we eat them in other settings. When you have one, you’re like, ‘Oh, I totally get it.’”

KILLER BURGER OPENING IN TACOMA

Despite a slowdown in March and April due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Killer Burger has rebounded thanks to very strong brand loyalty, said Hebb. The company doubled down on improving its ordering technology and delivery mechanisms — not just for the current moment but the inevitable takeout-focused future of casual American dining.

The restaurants operate in a counter-service setup, some with a full bar and others with beer and wine only, depending on location.

Now is an opportune time to search for spaces, particularly in new developments, said Hebb, adding that landlords might be dropping rents by 10 or 15 percent, a worthwhile decrease for a potential franchisee.

Killer Burger currently has three restaurants in Portland, six elsewhere in Oregon (with a seventh on the way in Bend), and two in Vancouver, Washington. By next June, Hebb says there will be five more Killer Burgers, four owned by franchisees. The first franchise-owned store opened in 2017.

He and his team are still seeking a Tacoma partner, and thus the right location. He sees the main drag of Sixth Avenue as an ideal match (home to both Beefy’s Burgers and Spanky Burger, the latter of which is small and counter-service but serves beer), or in the nearby Hilltop neighborhood. He added that because of Tacoma’s geography, “There’s a lot of different places where we could work.”

As for the timing, Hebb said, “I’d love it if tomorrow we had a franchisee for Tacoma.”

This story was originally published November 10, 2020 at 5:00 AM.