Deli & prepared foods BURGER BARS GROCERANT CONCEPTS AND FOODSERVICE OFFERINGS within the supermarket are redefining burgers and lighting a flame under the market. Infinitely customizable, burgers are one of the most quintessential of foods. The simple hamburger patty can please the picky eaters (a plain burger, please) and be a springboard for innovation and creativity. Enjoyed at home and out, 42% of those surveyed by Technomic say they have a preferred restaurant to eat a burger. But new influences are creating challenges around the burger category. Rising labor and delivery costs associated with a growing preference for off-premise dining add to the cost of dining out, and for 32 - MARCH 2020 some consumers these changes make enjoying burgers in a restaurant less economically feasible. In order to rejuvenate interest and justify needed price increases, a growing number of burger retailers are enlisting the appeal of the limited time offer (LTO). This might include seasonal specials, themed burgers, adding a unique topping to a burger patty or substituting doughnuts or ramen for a bakery bun. Twenty-four percent of those surveyed expressed interest in trying burgers with unusual buns. Breakfast burgers offer alternative buns in the form of pancakes, waffles, hash browns or tortillas and additions of eggs and bacon on top make for good value-adds. Innovative LTO www.supermarketperimeter.com WAHLBURGERS BY JENNIFER BARNETT FOXhttp://www.supermarketperimeter.com