A New Chapter for Burger Chan
A major change has come to one of Houston’s most well-regarded burger restaurants, but the owners assure fans that the restaurant they love will stay mostly the same. Burger Chan owners Diane and Willet Feng have partnered with chef Ryan Stewart and his Silver Linings Hospitality company to take over day-to-day operations of the restaurant.
The Partnership
Stewart, a native of South Africa who previously served as a chef and partner of shuttered South African restaurant Peli Peli, has spent five months learning the restaurant’s operations to prepare for the switchover. First opened as Kuma Burger in 2016, Burger Chan opened its current location near the Galleria in 2022. Chef Willet Feng brings his fine dining background to the restaurant’s burgers, which get an umami boost from a tare glaze on the patties.
The Menu and Operations
The build-your-own format allows diners to create their perfect combo from two patty sizes, four buns, three cheese, and more than a dozen vegetables and sauces, including favorites like charred jalapenos, sambal mayo, and scallion aioli. However, all of the acclaim has come with a downside. Willet Feng explains that the restaurant has struggled to find a roster of employees who can perform to his admittedly high standards. The partnership with Stewart aims to implement systems that allow Burger Chan to maintain its high quality while utilizing employees who might struggle to replicate the chef’s exact methods.
The Future of Burger Chan
Feng thinks that Stewart, who has experience operating multiple locations, will be able to implement systems that allow Burger Chan to maintain its high quality. Stewart plans to start small by adding Monday lunch service and Burger Chan’s first dinner hours on Fridays and Saturdays. Next up is adding weeknight dinner service. If everything goes smoothly, Silver Linings would begin looking for a second location. The second location would serve as a prep kitchen to make things easier to control and would allow the team to expand while maintaining the quality of the food.
The Fengs’ Involvement
As Diane Feng notes, she and Willet aren’t walking away from the restaurant. They’ll still be involved but not as the daily presence they have been. Over the past month, they’ve been less present physically to allow Stewart and his team the opportunity to learn how to operate the restaurant on their own. However, Feng promises diners will still see her at the restaurant, and Willet will continue to check and improve things.
New Ventures
Taking a step back from day-to-day involvement in Burger Chan frees up the Fengs to devote more time to Borrowed Goods, the Singaporean-inspired pop-up series they launched in March. Next up is dinner service on April 27 at Narwhal Jousting Club, the ghost kitchen owned by Ninja Ramen’s Christopher Huang. The pop-up series will likely stay as a pop-up for a long time, with no timeline for opening a brick-and-mortar location.
Conclusion
In conclusion, the partnership between Burger Chan and Silver Linings Hospitality marks a new chapter for the beloved burger restaurant. With Stewart’s experience and the Fengs’ continued involvement, fans of the restaurant can expect the same high-quality food and service they have come to love. As the restaurant expands and the Fengs explore new ventures, one thing is certain – the Burger Chan experience will remain a staple in Houston’s food scene.
