Simplicity. One Burger at a Time

3admin • 28th Oct 2009 • Tweets • johnnie's grill, robert's grill, simplicity

Johnnie's Burger, Photo: Roadfood.com

I found myself thumbing through a dated copy of my wife’s Food Network Magazine the other day. The feature story was focused on the country’s best hamburgers — specifically, where to find the best burger in each state. To my surprise, I learned that Johnnie’s Grill in El Reno, Oklahoma was considered best of the Sooner state. I have very fond memories of Johnnie’s onion burgers and coney dogs. It was always a treat for me to stop at Johnnies during family trips to see my grandmother, who to my luck lived just down the street from the historic Route 66 stop.

The beauty of a Johnnie’s burger is its simplicity. I learned that Oklahomans during the Depression would make ends meet by mixing large quantities of onions into their ground beef, creating the onion burger. Johnnie’s has continued this tradition, topping the burger with mustard and a warm bun heated on the grill top. It’s simple and perfect.

Johnnie's Coney, Photo: Roadfood.com

The simplicity of a Johnnie’s burger got me thinking, and I was once again reminded that most products and services that I appreciate and covet, at their heart, are very simple. I continually see organizations spending enormous amounts of money to over think the obvious. Often, we’re in such a rush to fix what is broken or overtake the competition, we overdevelop, losing sight of the original intent. In many cases, all people really want is a burger topped with mustard. You just have to take the time to ask.

Just a side note, the second best burger in the country can be found just down the street from Johnnie’s at Robert’s Grill. There’s something to say about imitation – not sure who’s the imitator in this case. Good is good.