Amidst the general misery within the food and drink sector during the past twelve months, one chain has managed to not only survive, but thrive. Ohannes Burgers, with their four – and soon to be six – Nottingham branches, pride themselves on putting the freshest ingredients and commitment to quality above all else. And with their West Bridgford and Mansfield locations set to open soon, joining their branches in the City Centre, Arnold, Hucknall and Sherwood (as well as a further store planned for Beeston), we thought it was high time to catch up with owners Deniz & Mehmet Yaziciolgu and Murat Yer to find out the secret of Ohannes’ success...
What makes Ohannes stand out from other burger restaurants?
There are a few things: we only use fresh ingredients, so there are no nasties or additives, our taste combinations are next level, we include our famous seasoned fries and handmade aioli free with every burger, our restaurants and packaging are a work of art, and we always listen to feedback in order to continually improve. We also pride ourselves on our range of sauces, which are made daily using only the finest and freshest ingredients.
We emphasise our use of the freshest ingredients, because fresh is always best. We pride ourselves on creating great tasting wholesome burgers, which is why we call our food ‘guilt-free’ because we only use the finest ingredients. The crunch of fresh lettuce, the sizzle of our handmade locally sourced burgers, the softness of our pretzel buns, all topped with sauces we make from scratch – as far as we know, there’s no other burger brand that can claim to make it all themselves. We care about people, the planet and the food we put into our bodies, that’s why it’s important to us.
What’s your favourite burger on the menu?
The Big Lebowski Burger – we like to call it the bad boy of burgers – 100% British beef patties topped with salsa, red kidney beans, jalapenos, cheese slices, fried onions, handmade aioli, fresh lettuce, tomato, pickle, ketchup all stacked in a sweet pretzel bun and served with our seasoned fries and famous aioli. It’s a perfect combination of meat meets Mexi, the flavours work well and it’s one of our best sellers. Our sides come a close second – the spicy chicken strips and mozzarella sticks.
How have you managed as a business during the pandemic?
As you can imagine, it’s not been easy. Opening four branches during a pandemic has been a challenge but we have pulled it off. Educating staff and drivers on keeping everyone safe and changing procedures has been a big challenge. Luckily, as we offer takeaway, we were already set up to keep getting our food out to people. We also learnt to adapt to the changing market through our product offering and what customers want - we will be adding milkshakes and ice-cream to our branches soon, all sourced from a local farm.
Ohannes is set up as a franchise programme – how does that work?
Our franchise programme works by interested parties getting in contact with us and going through an application process. We have a rule regarding distance between branches so we have reached full capacity in Nottingham, but have our Liverpool branch opening really soon. Our team of designers, in-store experts, and retail professionals work with the franchisee to create their branch. We have plans to expand the franchise nationally – so watch this space.
You currently have four venues open in Arnold, the City Centre, Sherwood and Hucknall, a further two about to open in Mansfield and West Bridgford and another planned for Beeston. What do you have planned for the future of Ohannes?
We want to see an Ohannes on every high street in the UK – why not? It’s always good to dream big and we believe we have the right structure in place to deliver it. Our franchisee programme is well established and our brand is growing through our social channels. We have a real passion for what we do and we believe we have flipped the idea of ‘fast food’ into a new era. Because of the fresh ingredients we use, our strong brand values, and our commitment to delivering a unique customer experience we believe we have the formula for franchise success. Life is short, eat the burger!
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