The annual Burger Battle draws crowds, boosts local restaurants and celebrates the city’s culinary creativity.
Sanela Kukac
Kicker News
Downtown St. John’s is bustling this March as 46 restaurants compete in the annual burger battle, an event designed to support local restaurants during the slow winter months.
For one month, chefs showcase their inventive burgers while customers explore the city’s food scene, helping businesses stay afloat during the traditionally quiet season.
For the past four years, the burger battle has become a tradition. One of the creative minds behind the event is Gaylynne Gulliver, the marketing, special events and media relations manager for downtown St. John’s.
“We came up with burger battle for two reasons: One was to bring people back downtown and help businesses recover post-pandemic,” said Gulliver.
Beyond picking the winner, the event is meant to bring people together.
“They’ll get a great meal and get to participate in all the fun and feel like they’re part of the community,” Gulliver added.” It’s about place-making and community building.”
Chef Ange Dumaresque of One Eared Goat, last year’s burger battle winner, said the competition is “super positive for downtown, because it gives life back into it after the winter, so it’s really cool to see so many people, so full all the time.”
OZFM host Robert Shawn is a staple in the burger battle; he returned this year to take on all 46 burgers and rank his favourite. More than just about burgers, Shawn says the event has grown fiercely over the years, keeping downtown restaurants busy, inspiring burger crawls among friends, and turning the competition into a community tradition.
The burger battle runs all March long, with customers able to vote online for their favourite.
Be the first to comment