Q&A with the Founder of Band of Burgers

Band of Burgers is unquestionably one of London’s most innovative Halal burger brands.

Not afraid to push the gastronomic boundaries, BoB first acquired a reputation in the hip and happening town of Camden (see our reviews here and here), before opening its more recent second branch in East London’s lively Brick Lane (see our review here).

Here, FtL throws 10 questions at owner Zeeshan Amin to find out some of the secrets to his success.

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1. What kind of restaurant experience had you had before setting up Band of Burgers?

It’s always been a long time dream of mine to start a restaurant business. Before Band of Burgers, I did some part time work at Subway when I was studying at Brunel University, but I never had any proper restaurant experience.

The biggest challenge the restaurant industry faces today is staff turnover. The situation has worsened especially after Brexit.

2. Why decide on a burger restaurant and not anything else?

I love burgers myself and I wanted to choose the kind of food that people from all cultures can enjoy. Burgers are for everyone and it has become a booming food fashion in recent times.

3. How do you deal with any doubts and fears of failure?

There are always fears and doubts, but it should not hold you back. I believe hard work always pays off.

4. What’s the single biggest pressure you face as a restaurateur on a daily basis, and how do you deal with this?

The biggest challenge the restaurant industry faces today is staff turnover. The situation has worsened especially after Brexit.

We will be opening the next BoB in Clapham or the Kensington area soon.

5. With so many Halal burger restaurants opening up, how do you go about ensuring that BoB is ahead of the competition?

We are continuously doing research on emerging food trends in the market and will always come up with new and innovative items on our menu to stay ahead.

6. What’s your favourite BoB burger and why?

My favourite burger is ‘The Mexican’ because of the amazing combination of sauces that marries perfectly with the juicy beef patty.

7. What’s your top three burger restaurants (not including BoB of course)?

I like many burger places, though my top favourites are Jones the Grocer (Dubai), Christopher’s Grill (Covent Garden) and Red Iron (Uxbridge).

8. And what’s your favourite restaurant overall?

Entrecôte Cafe de Paris in Dubai is one of my favourites.

9. Where would you ideally like to open a third BoB branch?

We will be opening the next BoB in Clapham or the Kensington area soon.

10. Where do you hope to see BoB in five years’ time?

Within the next five years we aim to open a few more branches in other parts of London. And then we will probably hit the Middle East.