This Proudly Filipino Brand is Revolutionizing Burgers with Gourmet Flavors
In the competitive burger market teeming with local and international players, setting oneself apart is a tricky task. But one brand dared to enter this arena with a promise to unleash your inner beast—that is, encourage you to cave in to your desires and enjoy the "best and beastliest burgers." It aptly calls itself Burger Beast.
Born at the height of the pandemic in 2020, Burger Beast is the brainchild of Chef Carlo Miguel, the culinary director CloudEats, a cloud restaurant company that's also behind brands like Casa Crawford, Rhian Ramos'Â Healthy Appetite, Great Greens, Daks Shawarma and more. With Burger Beast, Miguel is "on a mission to champion the iconic burger," reads to the material sent to us. He aims to develop next-level burgers, "elevate every element, from patties to buns, condiments, and sauces," and make them "convenient, accessible, and wallet-friendly."
Chef Carlo Miguel, culinary director CloudEats
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Unique offerings
"In terms of the ambition of the brand, we really want Burger Beast to be the ultimate destination for craft burgers," CloudEats brand manager Mabel Gonzales tells Esquire Philippines. "Craft is a huge part of our branding. This extends not only to the product perspective of creating craft burgers but also to crafting unique experiences."
A burger lover myself, I didn't just take Gonzales' word for it. I ordered their signature Umami Burger (P249) from Grab. Deliciously charred on the outside and juicy on the inside, the 1/3-lb burger comes loaded with caramelized onions, yellow cheddar, and a special umami sauce, all encased in soft buns. I followed their suggestion and ordered a tub of crisp Curly Fries (P169) to accompany the burger. The brand certainly delivered on its promise of providing a perfect balance of flavor and satisfaction.
The Umami Burger became such a hit that they decided to create spinoffs—the Truffle Umami and the Bacon Umami Burgers. Also on the menu are other burger variants like Bacon Cheese, Buffalo, Crispy Chicken, BBQ Bacon, American Cheese, Super Cali Smashed, Chicken Caesar, and Crispy Fish. "These aren't your everyday burgers," says Gonzales. "They are very gourmet in terms of preparation." Aside from the burger sandwiches, they also have burger steaks, chicken poppers and wings.
Burger Beast's flagship store at 3F South Entertainment Mall, SM Mall of Asia
Buld your own burger
CloudEats operates as a digitally native business, so they utilized aggregators like Grab and Food Panda to reach their customers in Metro Manila and Greater Manila Area. But recognizing the opportunity for growth, they started introducing offline, brick-and-mortar stores specifically for Burger Beast.
Currently, they have four branches: at the Uptown Mall in BGC; Eastwood Mall; UP Town Center; and their flagship store at 3F South Entertainment Mall of SM Mall of Asia.
The flagship branch offers a more personalized journey for their customers. They have have two kiosks there where customers can choose from their signature burgers or build their own burgers.
"They can select their patty—which can either be smash style, burger or chicken. They can also select the toppings and dressings. Our chefs will craft the burgers for them," says Gonzales.
Also available at the MOA store are branded merchandise like shirts, tumblers, caps, fanny pack, and stickers. Something to watch out for is the launch of Beast Brew, a medium-bodied ale designed to complement the bold flavors of their burgers.
Limited Time Offers this May, in celebration of International Burger Day on May 28
Brand values
The brand aims to make a mark by providing "indulgent, bold, and liberating experiences." Gonzales says they are quite aggressive in innovating new flavors. In fact, they have an ongoing campaign this May called the Global Beasts Unleashed campaign, which is tied to the celebration of the International Burger Day on May 28.
They have a series of Limited Time Offers (LTOs) showcasing burgers inspired by different cultures. The schedules of LTOs are as follows: Mexican on May 6 to 12; Japanese on May 13 to 19; Korean on May 20 to 26; all three on May 24 - June 27; and Filipino on June 6 to 14. The campaign introduces customers to different cuisines, sparking their curiosity and inviting them to explore other cultures in a more accessible way.
"Overall, we just really want to be able to express our individuality while ensuring community spirit through the universal joy of sharing great and accessible food," says Gonzales.
CloudEats has very big ambitions for the brand. This plan includes expanding to other cities in the Philippines. "If ever given the opportunity, we'd also love to expand in Southeast Asia," she says.
