First We Feast intern Matthew Schonfeld recently combined a Luther burger, a cronut and a Umami burger. According to First We Feast, a Luther burger is a “burger variant of disputed origins that uses glazed donuts in the place of a bun.” The culinary creation known as the cronut is a croissant and donut hybrid originally crafted by chef Dominique Ansel. Umami Burger is a well-known West Coast chain and cult favorite that recently opened its first New York store.
To come up with the Umami-Cronut-Burger, Schonfeld went not only to the New York location on opening day, but also went to the source and purchased cronuts from Ansel’s bakery. Schonfeld made a horizontal incision into the cronut, careful not to make too much of a mess with the custard and blackberry filling. He then supplanted the patty onto the cronut bun. Afterwards, he claimed the flavors complemented each other and he was proud of what he’d accomplished.
Key Themes Behind This Trend
- Cronut-burger Hybrids
- The combination of sweet and savory flavors in hybrid desserts and fast food burgers offers an opportunity for disruptive innovation in the food industry.
- Glazed Donut Buns
- Using glazed donuts as burger buns provides a unique twist on traditional burgers and presents a disruption opportunity for bakeries and fast food chains.
- Cross-cultural Culinary Creations
- Creating culinary fusions by merging different cultural cuisines, like the cronut burger, opens up opportunities for disruptive innovation in the restaurant industry.
Where This Applies
- Bakery
- Bakeries can capitalize on the cronut trend by experimenting with new dessert hybrid creations, such as the cronut burger.
- Fast Food
- Fast food chains can introduce innovative menu items, like glazed donut burgers, to attract customers and drive sales.
- Restaurant
- Restaurants can differentiate themselves by offering cross-cultural culinary creations, like the cronut burger, to appeal to adventurous food enthusiasts.
