What Epic Burger does

Epic Burger is a Chicago-based fast-casual restaurant company founded in 2008, operating nine company-owned locations across the Chicago metropolitan area and Illinois suburbs under the 'A More Mindful Burger®' positioning. The core menu is built around Creekstone Farms Black Angus beef burgers (Classic, Double, Triple, BYOB, Cowboy, Farmhouse, Patty Melt) on Turano brioche buns with a proprietary Epic Sauce, complemented by chicken sandwiches, tenders, turkey burgers, Vienna Beef hot dogs, fries, and shakes. The company has built a parallel plant-based platform through a multi-year partnership with Beyond Meat, launching the Beyond Brat in 2019 and Beyond Chicken Tenders in 2021 alongside a core Beyond Burger SKU. Epic Burger distributes through dine-in, pickup, and delivery channels; the online ordering infrastructure runs on Toast Tab (with OpenDining referenced in terms of use), and the company distributes through DoorDash for on-demand delivery and ezCater for corporate and event catering, alongside gift cards and an email-driven rewards/loyalty program. In September 2023 the company completed its first identified acquisition, Meatheads Burgers, signaling a shift from purely organic Illinois densification to inorganic geographic expansion. Revenue is generated through one-time point-of-sale food and beverage transactions, catering packages, and gift card sales; no franchising, licensing, or delivery-only virtual brands are evident in the data.

Name

Epic Burger

Legal name

Epic Burger

Website

https://epicburger.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Epic Burger is a Chicago-based fast-casual restaurant chain operating nine company-owned locations across Illinois, serving burgers, chicken, and plant-based items via dine-in, online ordering, catering, and delivery to individual consumers, families, and corporate customers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast-Casual Restaurant

SIC

Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Burger Fast Casual (THAFABAA)

Keywords

• Fast casual dining
• Burger restaurant chain
• Catering services
• Plant-based menu
• Chicago restaurants

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Food and Beverage Sales: Core revenue from selling burgers, chicken sandwiches, tenders, fries, shakes, and other menu items at 9 Illinois restaurant locations. Revenue is generated through one-time transactions at point of sale, with options for dine-in, takeout, and delivery.
2. Catering Services: Corporate and event catering services offered through ezCater, including burger bars, meal boxes, slider party packs, shareable sides, group salads, and sweet treats for events of various sizes.
3. Gift Cards: Gift card sales at restaurant locations and online through Toast Tab platform, generating upfront cash receipts that are redeemed upon use.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Epic Burger operates a fast-casual restaurant chain selling customizable Black Angus beef burgers, chicken sandwiches, plant-based Beyond Meat options, fries, and shakes across nine Illinois locations in the Chicago metro area. The company also offers online ordering through Toast Tab, third-party delivery via DoorDash, corporate and event catering through ezCater, gift cards, and a loyalty rewards program.

Product overview

Epic Burger is a Chicago-based restaurant chain founded in 2008 with nine locations across Illinois, operating under the tagline 'A More Mindful Burger.' The company's core product portfolio centers on their signature burger line featuring Creekstone Farms Black Angus beef, including customizable options (Epic BYOB), double and triple patty variations (Double Epic, Triple Epic), specialty burgers (Cowboy Burger, Farmhouse Burger, Patty Melt), and a plant-based Beyond Burger. Their chicken offerings include crispy or grilled Epic Chicken sandwiches, Honey Hot Chicken, and chicken tenders (both traditional halal-certified and Beyond Meat plant-based tenders). Additional protein options include Epic Turkey and Vienna Beef hot dogs. Sides include various fry preparations (Epic Fries, Cajun Fries, Sweet Potato Fries), and shakes in multiple flavors. The company also offers catering services through an online platform including build-your-own burger bars, meal boxes, slider party packs, and group-sized salads and sides. A loyalty rewards program (Epic Burger Rewards) and gift cards provide additional customer engagement. All items feature their signature Epic Sauce on toasted Turano brioche buns. The company has expanded into plant-based proteins through a partnership with Beyond Meat, launching Beyond Chicken Tenders (2021) and the Beyond Brat (2019).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Signature Burgers Smashed Black Angus beef burgers on toasted brioche buns with aged cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickle, grilled onion, and Epic sauce, including single, double, and triple patty versions plus specialty varieties such as the BBQ-topped Cowboy Burger, Farmhouse Burger with cage-free egg, and the Patty Melt with giardiniera.
• Epic BYOB (Build Your Own Burger) Customizable burger where customers select their own bun, patty, cheese, and toppings to create a personalized Epic Burger.
• Plant-Based Burger (Beyond Burger) Smashed plant-based patty with avocado, lettuce, tomato, pickle, raw onion, and mayo on a toasted wheat bun; sourced from Beyond Meat.
• Beyond Brat (Beyond Sausage Bratwurst) Beyond Meat plant-based sausage bratwurst, the chain's first non-burger plant-based menu item, introduced through its Beyond Meat partnership.
• Beyond Chicken Tenders Plant-based chicken tenders from Beyond Meat offered as an alternative to traditional halal-certified chicken tenders.
• Chicken Sandwiches All-natural hand-breaded crispy or grilled chicken sandwiches including the signature Epic Chicken Sandwich with lettuce, tomato, pickle, and Epic sauce, and the Honey Hot Chicken tossed in honey hot sauce with pepper jack.
• Epic Turkey Smashed lean ground turkey patty with aged cheddar, lettuce, tomato, pickle, and Epic sauce on a toasted wheat bun.
• Epic Hot Dog Vienna Beef all-beef hot dog with mustard, tomato, pickle, raw onion, and giardiniera pepper blend on a toasted brioche bun.
• Chicken Tenders Three hand-breaded all-natural halal-certified chicken tenders served with choice of dipping sauce.
• Epic Sliders Mini burgers available with choice of beef, turkey, plant-based meat, crispy, or grilled chicken on toasted brioche buns with aged cheddar, diced onion, pickle, and Epic sauce.
• Epic Salad Crispy or grilled halal-certified chicken tenders over fresh iceberg lettuce with crispy bacon, onion slices, and ripe tomatoes, served with choice of dressing.
• Sides and Fries Crispy skin-on Epic Fries finished with sea salt, Cajun Fries with Cajun seasoning, and waffle-cut Sweet Potato Fries served with honey mustard.
• Shakes Hand-spun milkshakes available in vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, coffee, cookies and cream, peanut butter, Nutella, and chocolate chip flavors.
• Catering Services Corporate and event catering offered through ezCater, including the Epic Burger Bar (build-your-own bar), Epic Meal Boxes, the Slider Party Pack (10 sliders), the Ultimate Epic Pack (burger bar, chicken tender tray, and two shareable sides for 10), Group Salads, Shareable Sides, and Sweet Treats (chocolate chip cookie trays and Big Fat Cookies).
• Epic Burger Rewards (Loyalty Program) Customer loyalty program managed through the Toast Tab platform that allows members to earn rewards and redeem them for exclusive offers.
• Gift Cards Physical and digital gift cards available for purchase online via Toast Tab and at all Epic Burger restaurant locations, redeemable at any location.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration7 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Beyond MeatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2021Epic Burger partnered with Beyond Meat to expand plant-based offerings, launching Beyond Chicken Tenders and becoming one of the first Chicago restaurants to offer Beyond Meat plant-based products. This partnership supports Epic Burger's 'mindful burger' positioning and appeals to health-conscious and vegetarian consumers.
• DoorDashminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 9 November 2021DoorDash was a sponsor of the Chicago Gourmet Citywide Hamburger Hop event where Epic Burger participated and won. DoorDash provides delivery services connecting Epic Burger with customers who prefer delivery.
• Beyond MeatcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 August 2019Epic Burger debuted the Beyond Sausage Bratwurst ('Beyond Brat'), their first-ever non-burger item that is plant-based, through their partnership with Beyond Meat. This marked an expansion beyond traditional burgers into the plant-based meat category.
• Toast TabcoreTechnology or IntegrationEpic Burger uses Toast Tab as their online ordering platform and gift card provider. Toast Tab provides the e-commerce infrastructure enabling online ordering, pickup, delivery, and loyalty rewards functionality for Epic Burger locations.
• ezCaterminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorEpic Burger partners with ezCater for corporate and event catering orders, allowing business customers to easily order catering through the ezCater platform.
• Creekstone FarmscoreOthersEpic Burger uses Creekstone Farms Black Angus beef for their signature burgers. Creekstone Farms is a premium beef supplier known for high-quality, raised-with-care beef products.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Smashburger: Fast-casual chain built around smashed-style burgers with regional presence across the US, competing directly in menu and price tier with Epic Burger.
• BurgerFi: Fast-casual burger chain emphasizing natural ingredients and plant-based options, mirroring Epic's 'mindful burger' positioning and Beyond Meat partnership approach.
• Shake Shack: Premium fast-casual burger chain with similar 'better burger' positioning, expanding plant-based offerings. Closest publicly-traded analog in terms of brand-led, ingredient-focused fast-casual dining.
• The Habit Burger Grill: California-based fast-casual burger chain with comparable menu breadth (burgers, chicken sandwiches, salads) and a focus on char-grilled quality ingredients.
• Five Guys: Direct competitor in the fast-casual burger category, offering customizable burgers with high-quality beef and a similar dine-in/takeout/delivery model across the US.
• Wayback Burgers: Growing fast-casual burger franchise with similar dine-in/takeout/delivery/catering model, often located in suburban markets like Epic's Illinois footprint.

Regional players

• Portillo's: Chicago-based restaurant group offering burgers, hot dogs, and Italian beef sandwiches; competes for the same Chicago-area diner occasion and has expanded nationally.
• Culver's: Midwest-focused fast-casual chain with deep presence in Illinois, known for ButterBurgers and frozen custard—a regional incumbent with similar ingredient-quality positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Steak 'n Shake: Long-established Midwest fast-casual chain with similar burger-led menu, comparable price point, and historic Chicago-area presence.

Emerging players

• MOD Pizza: Fast-casual build-your-own concept with similar customization model to Epic's BYOB burger; illustrates the broader build-your-own customization trend in fast casual.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theepicburger
• Facebookfacebook.com/theepicburger
• Instagraminstagram.com/theepicburger/?src=website-footer

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Epic Burger