Twenty local restaurants step up to the grill to participate in the Ultimate Burger Battle
In addition to fries, diners can add a side of giving to their hamburger orders this November as 20 restaurants across the region join forces to raise money for the United Way East Ontario.
The Ultimate Burger Battle was held for the first time last year, raising $15,000 over the course of the month, said United Way East Ontario interim president and CEO Dennise Taylor-Gilhen. This year, she said the campaign will be even bigger.
“Many of those restaurants (from last year) are coming back to us, we’ve gone out to new restaurants and some have approached us because they saw just how much fun people had,” she told OBJ. “It says a lot about the restaurant community and their interest in giving back.”
As part of the campaign that runs until Nov. 30, each restaurant is offering a special burger, often featuring local beef and produce along with a few super-secret ingredients. For each burger sold, two dollars is donated to the United Way to help fund youth programs, mental health services and other community initiatives.
Diners can keep track of the burgers they sample with the event’s “official passport.”
“We believe in supporting local businesses and we believe that shopping local can help retain jobs in the community, so we work with restaurants,” said Taylor-Gilhen. “We’re all concerned about the economy and we know so many local businesses are, too. And yet we’re so inspired by the support they still provide to their community and their excitement about being part of this initiative.”
At The King Eddy in the ByWard Market, diners will find a new “animal style” double-cheese smash burger, which includes two mustard-grilled patties with caramelized red onion, dill pickle and extra King Eddy sauce on a brioche bun.
Last year, the restaurant contributed to the campaign by donating proceeds from a burger pop-up it hosted with Dominion City Brewing. This year, part-owner and assistant general manager Johny Bonney said the team decided to go all-in.
“This is the first campaign coming out of COVID that we’ve been able to do, so we’re really excited about it,” Bonney told OBJ. “It’s nice to see that spirit coming back. COVID was tough for everyone and for a couple of years everyone was just trying to survive. But now that we’re on the other side, it’s nice to be able to get back into that community spirit and give back.”
Over at Gburger, the kitchen is serving up the G Royale, a double-patty burger made with local beef, Royale sauce, onion, pickles and lettuce served on a sesame seed bun with a slice of potato loaf in the middle.
Chef, operations manager and partner Matt Hinds said Gburger is excited to take part in the campaign for a second year.
“It’s really exciting to see it grow and Gburger itself has grown since last year,” said Hinds, referring to the restaurant’s move to Wellington Street and its expansion to include a second location in Manotick. “We see this as an opportunity to do even more good for the community.”
By Mia Jensen, Ottawa Business Journal
