Joe Cohen cut both straws nearly in half so Nathan Ezrre, 5, and his sister Lauren, 4, could drink out of their cups.
The Brighton siblings were munching burgers and fries with their parents Tuesday at Cohen’s restaurant, Old School Burgers in Aurora.
The straws were an easy fix for Cohen compared with the challenges the fast-casual fresh-burger restaurant operator faces in this recession.
Although his business card says “president,” Cohen doubles as janitor, fry cook and order taker.
“Like most restaurants, as the economy has suffered, so have we,” Cohen said. “We are operating more efficiently, but if things get slower, we don’t have the strong reserves a bigger company might have.”
Sales at Old School Burgers, which has three locations in the metro area, have decreased nearly 25 percent since last year, Cohen said. The company makes 800 to 900 burgers a day across the three stores. Saturdays and Sundays, the burger count tops 1,000 daily.
The company has about 50 employees. It closed its original location in Parker last year because of poor sales. Plans to open two more stores are on hold.
Cohen competes with burger restaurants such as Smashburger, but his biggest fight for customers is with fast-food chains with $1 menus.
Customers and critics liken the 5-year- old company to California’s well-known In-N-Out Burger. Ingredients, including never-frozen Angus beef and fresh potatoes hand-cut in the stores, are cooked to order on the spot.
“I’m from out West, and In-N-Out is king, and this is the same,” said Nick Ezrre, Nathan and Lauren’s dad. “It’s a traditional greasy burger and fresh French fries from real potatoes, so it’s good.”
A National Restaurant Association survey found 62 percent of quick-casual restaurants reported lower sales in March compared with March 2008.
But 52 percent of quick-service stores, which include fast-food chains, reported an increase in sales during that period.
“We hoped we would pick up some business from casual-dining places as their business went away,” Cohen said. “But what we’ve seen is folks seem to have jumped right past us and gone to the $1 menus.”
McDonald’s reported recently that 14 percent of its total sales are from the $1 menu.
“We’ll just keep doing what we do, offering quality and customer service,” Cohen said. “We need to fight and claw for our customers one at a time.”
Without an advertising budget, Cohen has tried to be creative in attracting new customers.
One way: He’ll give away free burgers all day if the Denver Nuggets win the NBA championship.
Elizabeth Aguilera: 303-954-1372 or eaguilera@denverpost.com
