Courtesy of Burger Champ
The wait for Burger Champ (2704 Sutton) in Maplewood is almost over. Owner Chris Kelling plans to open the highly anticipated eatery in the former Elmwood space in early October. In the meantime, he's enlisted industry professionals to fine-tune all aspects of a concept that includes smash burgers, chicken sandwiches, fries, onion rings, salads, as well as milkshakes, which also received an important stamp of approval from Kelling’s 5-year-old. Here’s what to expect.
The Team
Kelling, whose hospitality tenure ranges from years in fine dining to fast-casual (including Pizza Champ, at 2657 Lyle in Maplewood), says he had Burger Champ’s menu of quality dishes 90 percent formulated before bringing in expert chefs and mixologists to get the food and beverages “elevated and fully dialed-in.”
Courtesy of Burger Champ
Chris Kelling, Jeff Friesen
Kelling collaborated with acclaimed chef Chris Bork of the popular pop-up series Place & Time to fine-tune the menu and then hired Jeff Friesen as executive chef to share his expertise in both the front and back of the house. Friesen's resume includes Farmhaus, Taco Buddha, Boss Taco STL, and Juniper (now Sunday Best). Joining him on Burger Champ’s staff is manager Josh Schutz, formerly of Mac’s Local Eats. “Josh has institutional knowledge of high-end burger joints that no one around here has,” Kelling explains.
Courtesy of Burger Champ
Mathew Rice, Chris Kelling
Kelling then called on his friend Mathew Rice to perfect the menu of traditional and specialty milkshakes. Rice, a pastry chef and former St. Louisan who designed the milkshake menu for Pi Pizzeria in Kirkwood and helped launch the milkshake bar at the Little Goat diner in Chicago, now owns the nationwide cookie delivery brand Pink Door Cookies in Nashville. Kelling knew that Rice loves ice cream and has a knack for developing the nostalgic flavors that he wanted for Burger Champ. Plus, he says, “Mathew brings fun to everything he does.”
For the cocktail program, Kelling invited consulting company Bangers Only, led by Tim Wiggins and Kyle Mathis, to develop four draft cocktails and add-on “boozy sidecars” to amp up the milkshakes. “Kyle and Tim know how to take something simple like a Whiskey Cola to a new level,” Kelling says. “They kept the cocktails light and refreshing, so they are delicious and easy to enjoy with a burger.”
The Menu
Bork and Friesen translated Kelling’s ideas onto the plate—and brought an extra passion for quality. “When I make something, I want to make it as delicious as I possibly can,” Friesen says. From the Ranch dressing to the grain bowl, every item has the same serious R&D behind it.
“’Platonic ideal’ is the phrase Kelling has been using throughout this process. It’s been fun to dial into that,” Friesen says. “We’re putting a lot of time and thought and work into this.”
All of Burger Champ’s patties will use Creekstone Farms premium Black Angus beef. The headliner is the Champ Classic, complete with all of the trimmings plus Champ Sauce, a spicy concoction that's reminiscent of Russian dressing with chili sauce and horseradish.
Thanks to Friesen, the chicken sandwich will be far from an afterthought compared to the burgers. “With my time at Juniper and Farmhaus, I know how to fry chicken,” he says, “so I’m really excited about our chicken sandwich.” The base sandwich includes fried thighs with lettuce, tomato, pickles, and onion plus the same Champ sauce as the burger. Another version swaps in bacon jam and that delicious Ranch dressing. Guests can also order a griddled chicken breast instead, with any of the same toppings.
Such healthy options as grain bowls and salads might be unexpected at a burger joint, but they’re also thoughtful additions. For the grain bowl, the end result is a base of farro and brown rice with arugula in a red wine vinaigrette with sweet potatoes, dried tomatoes, chickpeas, pickled red onions, and more.
“I think we tried six types of carrot cuts for the Garden Salad,” Kelling says. “The salad … has carrots, cucumber and bell pepper, but I wanted there to be different sizes of those vegetables to add texture and dimension to the salad. I know that it sounds silly, but this attention to detail is important to me, and I hope guests appreciate that thoughtfulness.”
The Atmosphere
Kelling also paid close attention to the ambiance. Guests will walk up to the counter to place their orders, then settle into the dining room to wait for runners to bring food and drinks to their tables. This format means “everyone shares the duties, and everyone shares the gratuities,” Kelling says.
One long wall painted in Burger Champ’s signature coral pink will sport its graffiti-style crown logos. Another long wall has four 86-inch TVs, and there are two more TVs behind the bar, plus one serving as a digital menu.
Courtesy of Burger Champ
Guests can see the kitchen in action through frosted glass windows, also etched with Pizza Champ logos. Instead of the coal-fired grill and oven that were central to Kelling’s previous restaurant in the space, the kitchen is now home to old school flat-tops and fryers.
“Burger Champ will be a concept that’s easy for guests to enjoy,” Kelling says. “It’s not overcomplicated but delivers the very best product possible for our guests. It will be a casual vibe that fits with our neighborhood. I live in Maplewood, so I am excited to reactivate this corner for our community.”
