Article Contributed on: 6/11/2009 4:37:40 PM
A burger with Swiss cheese, bacon and peanut butter.
It's not an order John Carter, the vice president of operations at Cheeburger Cheeburger, gets every day, but he's proud to offer it to anyone who walks in the door. Peanut butter is one of the more unique of 27 hamburger toppings offered at Cheeburger Cheeburger, 9234 Park Meadows Drive in Lone Tree.
"There's a lot of burger restaurants, and every one of them has a gimmick," Carter said. "We provide fresh food, burgers with 30 toppings and 378,000 shake flavors. I don't think anyone else offers that many shake flavors."
The original owners of the Lone Tree franchise also had a restaurant in Parker, but shut the Parker store down once Carter took over his share of the restaurant in October 2006.
Cheeburger Cheeburger restaurant chains are found primarily on the East Coast and in the Southern United States. There are only eight Cheeburger Cheeburgers west of the Mississippi.
"On a whim, I stepped in to help my friend and had a blast," he said. "My wife and I always wanted a restaurant and this seemed like a great opportunity, so I jumped into it."
And as Carter mingles with the guests, it's clear to see just how enthusiastic he is about Cheeburger Cheeburger, the food and 1950s decor.
"We get a mix of a lot of young families, teenagers and a lot of multi-generational families," he said. "The cutest thing I've seen is a set of grandparents sharing a chocolate malt out of an old metal cup with two straws- the woman said to her husband, 'This reminds me of when we were dating.'"
It's a place, he said, the young and old can relate too. Parents like the alcohol-free atmosphere, kids like the shakes and malts and we can cater to everyone, Carter said.
"We can do everything without a bun, we offer six salad combinations, wraps, a veggie and turkey burger and fried or grilled chicken sandwiches," he said. "The turkey burger is the most neglected item on the menu, but it tastes like any other turkey sandwich - just hot. It's delicious, though."
Cheeburger Cheeburger doesn't just serve the community burgers and fries, Carter said - it serves in its philanthropy as well.
"We do fundraising where we partner with a group that needs money, the schools use this, and we set a benefit night and our marketing department will create a one-page flier to be handed out, and those who dine with the flier, Cheeburger Cheeburger donates 15 percent of what the entire group spent to the group needing the help," Carter said. "We raised a little over $800 for a lady with brain cancer, and on June 18, we had another benefit night for the American Cancer Society. It was a big one."
Carter said on benefit nights it's more like serving a large family because everyone dining is connected to the same benefit and most likely know one another. With the popularity of Cheeburger Cheeburger in Lone Tree, Carter said he'd like to expand the franchise.
"If the economy does not get any worse by the fall, I'd like to expand," he said. For a complete list of menu items, nutrition facts, prices, fundraising tips and merchandise, visit, www.cheeburger.com.