BURGER MONTH, MEDIA KIT CONTRIBUTE TO BOOMING BURGER BUSINESS

DENVER (April 15, 1998) - One-third of all Americans have eaten a hamburger or some form of ground beef in the past 24 hours. So popular are hamburgers and cheeseburgers, in fact, that 5.4 billion of them were served in 1997 alone, according to recent producer-funded research.

To help celebrate and further promote the burgeoning burger business, May has been designated "Burger Month." And to help create even more craving for that savory burger on a bun, the checkoff-funded 1998 Burger Boom media kit has just been released by National Cattlemen’s Beef Association (NCBA).

"Burger Month is designed to capitalize on the continued growth of hamburger and cheeseburger servings in the foodservice segment," said Ken Davis, a cow/calf producer from Leesburg, Ohio, and chair of the beef industry’s Foodservice Committee. "Through special promotions like Burger Month we want to keep hamburgers and cheeseburgers top of mind with foodservice operators and encourage them to feature a wide range of burgers on their menus."

According to research conducted for the beef industry annually by NPD/Crest, burgers have continued to increase in popularity. The large cheeseburger in particular experienced a second consecutive year of significant growth, with the number of foodservice servings growing by 7 percent in 1997 after climbing 8.2 percent in 1996.

Each year, NCBA uses recent data about American eating habits and information from other sources to update the Burger Boom kit, a collection of media-friendly burger facts and figures.

"The media look forward to the updated Burger Boom kit each year because it is full of timely, fun information about burgers," said Davis.

The kit is distributed to national foodservice and distributor publications, as well as to states, which work in coordination with NCBA to promote the information with operators and distributors. In addition, NCBA distributes information to foodservice distributors and contract management companies with the intention of promoting burgers and Burger Month to their consumers.

"Over its four-year history, Burger Month has been tremendously successful," said Davis. "The ultimate measure of the promotion is the burger’s increasing share in the foodservice market."

The revised 1998 Burger Boom kit features a new section listing popular burger stops across the country. While visiting the Grand Canyon, tourists can enjoy the big taste of the "Grandest Canyon Burger" at The Steakhouse at the Grand Canyon. The Best "Mile High" Burger, seasoned with olive oil and spices and then grilled, is found at the Denver Chop House & Brewery. On a gray day in Seattle, Wash., the place to be is at The Belltown Pub for a "Rainy Day Burger."

Also of interest from the kit is a list of burger toppings from around the world. While Canadians may order Blue Cheese on their burger, accompanied by either sautéed onions or mushrooms, in Guatemala the favored toppings are fried beans and hot sauce. In Singapore, diners love black pepper and Samurai sauce on their burger.

Burger Month promotions are funded through the national beef checkoff, which is administered by the Beef Board. This 111-member board is appointed by the Secretary of Agriculture to oversee the collection of the $1-per-head checkoff, certify state beef councils, implement the provisions of the Federal order establishing the checkoff and evaluate the effectiveness of checkoff programs.

Initiated in 1898, National Cattlemen’s Beef Association is the marketing organization and trade association for America’s one million cattle ranchers and farmers. With offices in Denver, Chicago and Washington D.C., NCBA is a consumer-focused, producer-directed organization representing the largest segment of the nation’s food and fiber industry.

-- NCBA --