From Rooftop to Restaurant
Back in 2011, four school friends on a London rooftop decided to set up a restaurant where the focus was on perfecting the craft of just two main ingredients. Since then, Burger & Lobster has been bringing these hero components to fun and passionate personalities around the world who share their appetite for creativity. Here RLI spends some time with CEO Dino Sura to speak about how the concept has grown and evolved from rooftop to restaurant.
At the core of the Burger & Lobster offer is simplicity, respect for quality food and exceptional service. This pivotal focus on making two products the absolute best they can be without any other distractions, remains today as they celebrate 15 years in operation.
The business currently operates 11 sites in the UK, with ten in London and one in Brighton. Outside of this market they operate a restaurant in New York, US and operate with franchise partners in Malaysia, Bangkok, Philippines, Indonesia and Qatar.
Last year Burger & Lobster opened their first UK sites for seven years. They launched Brighton and High Street Kensington with a revised look and feel and also developed a brunch offering specifically for these locations. They launched with a social media campaign that drove a lot of local interest and engagement. Internationally, they have just launched in Jakarta, marking their debut in Indonesia.
“In terms of new locations, we are always on the lookout for new sites and franchise partners. However, we are keen to make sure that these are right for the brand,” comments Dino Sura, CEO of Burger & Lobster. “As for new territories, we are currently exploring the US and Europe and we have recently signed a deal for a restaurant in Türkiye, so we have an exciting pipeline ahead.”
Aware that customer needs have changed over the last few years; the company constantly strives to meet these, predominantly through innovation. Whether this is through menu development or digital enhancements within their offering, they are always thinking about how they can meet their customer’s needs and expectations in an ever-changing market.
Keen to be a brand that does not just serve food, they want to be one that creates memorable moments through building emotional connections. Back in 2022, they went through a rebranding exercise that led to the redesign of their spaces to align with their food offering. They created a laid-back but elevated space to reflect the juxtaposition of their menu, which offers messy burgers and decadent lobsters.
“We engage guests through a clear and authentic concept that tells a story. From the design of the space and the music, to the menu and service style, everything is intentionally aligned so guests feel immersed the moment they walk through the door,”
“We engage guests through a clear and authentic concept that tells a story. From the design of the space and the music, to the menu and service style, everything is intentionally aligned so guests feel immersed the moment they walk through the door,” Sura highlights.
As our conversation moves onto the topics of social media and marketing, the CEO explains that Instagram and TikTok in particular are their biggest marketing levers. They invest time and money into curating content that puts across the company’s personality and ultimately, engages their community. They have grown their social media audience significantly in recent years and have a hugely loyal following. Having always recognised the importance of these channels, they will continue to keep things exciting across that medium through entertaining sneak peeks, exclusive products and more.
The next topic we bring up is sustainability and here Sura comments that for the company, it is about helping to find the balance between progress and conservation. “Across the board, we are serious about it and we know our customers expect us to be too, so we are holding ourselves accountable for the steps that we are taking to be more sustainable. We believe that it is only by taking a total approach, thinking about every aspect of our business, that we can make a meaningful difference. Our ‘Let’s Do Better Together’ strategy is designed to reflect this.”
While the current hospitality market may remain challenging, Burger & Lobster remain focused on enhancing their customer experience and only introduce enhanced digital initiatives if it truly adds value to their customers. One such initiative is the loyalty programme they are trialling in Brighton called Claws Club. It is a wallet pass solution that is really easy for the customer and is hugely generous, showing how dedicated they are to rewarding guests who are truly loyal.
“We are proud to say we have been successful since our doors opened and I feel this is down to three things; our simplicity, our value and our industry leading service. Our people are also at the core of everything we do and we believe that their dedication to the customer is key to the success of our business,” comments Sura.
He continues by saying that, in terms of the offering, you know what you are getting at Burger & Lobster and even now, 15 years on, they are still true to their ethos of cooking these two things to perfection. The menu may have evolved, but at the core it is still quite simple and allows the team to focus on delivering outstanding quality.
As we touched on earlier, there is no doubt that the sector is going through an exceptionally challenging time and Burger & Lobster is not exempt from this, which is why they continue to constantly review every element of their business.
“Consumer mind-set has developed; they want a true experience when they dine out and for it to deliver true value for money. We work really hard to ensure our proposition delivers on both of these elements. Hopefully, through that we can retain our loyal base whilst also attracting a new customer who may be less familiar with us, both in the UK and in new territories,” Sura concludes.
