Reinventing the Cheeseburger
Burgerville’s Tom Mears took an icon of damn-the-whales consumer excess–the drive-thru cheeseburger–and turned it green. In the process, he reanimated his business.
From: Inc. Magazine| By: Chris Lydgate
Distinguishing itself from the pack
Burgerville had been a Northwest institution since its founding in 1961. But by the early 1990s, the chain had lost its sizzle. Guest counts were flat; the menu was stale. Heavyweight rivals such as McDonald’s (NYSE:MCD) and Burger King (NYSE:BKC) were stripping away customers. CEO Tom Mears ultimately figured that a family-owned chain of 39 quick-service restaurants, based in Vancouver, Washington, would never beat the big chains on price–so he put the focus on quality. It was a risky move for a burger joint. Nonetheless, Burgerville’s emphasis on fresh, local food appealed to diners’ hometown pride and tapped a nascent consumer hunger for more healthful, less processed food. Since then, Burgerville has launched several products built around key local ingredients. The most popular is probably the Tillamook Cheeseburger, shown here, which is made up almost entirely of sustainable, locally grown ingredients–and costs a mere $3.29.For the entire article go to Inc.com
Corra sees the trend where going green can bring you bucks. Given this trend, which we assume will expand as more industries are created with the intent of cleaning up the environment, a business would be smart to review its environmental standards.
It would also pay to hire employment candidates who are cognizant of this new trend. It is even better to hire those who can lead you in the green direction. Be it the lowly burger standard of major industries where part of their attraction is the fact they are environmentally sound, ecologically progressive employees may help expand your client base and generate higher revenues in multiple channels.
Corra also notes that doing business with environmentally conscious businesses is good PR and good business practice. Consumers and clients prefer companies who try to work with other companies who support environmental causes. A bit of business research would never hurt before choosing a vendor or supplier.
As for your employment candidates, it may pay to check out their driving records as well as their education history as a means to help assess their interest in the environment. Those who drive responsibly and are better educated tend to pay more attention to the environment.
Go green. Grown your business. Check them out before you hire.
