Meet Ben Burley | Full Metal Burgers Founder

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ben Burley and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ben, what was your thought process behind starting your own business?
Before starting Full Metal Burgers, I was working in the foreclosure industry throughout the 2008 housing crash and aftermath. By 2015 I was tired and angry from working in a field where profit and success was directly linked to other people’s worst days and misery. I had been a backyard warrior grilling and trying to perfect my ideal burger for a while and the opportunity arose to start selling them on the weekends. We booked more and more events quickly and with the support from my old boss and mentor, family and friends I was able to transition my hobby and passion into a full time position by 2016.

Alright, so for those in our community who might not be familiar with your business, can you tell us more?
Full Metal Burgers was forged from my love of heavy metal music and passion for uncomplicated, delicious food. We were very lucky out of the gate when @groobzbros manifested our logo and burger flail and gave life to our brand and instant recognition as we ventured out into the world. Once we have guests engaged though, our ‘Authenticity over Marketing’ mentality shines though as our food is savory and simple and we put a heavy focus on the customer experience and service.

The thing that gives me pride and excitement regularly is that through our structure and vision we are consistently able to attract team members that share this mentality and buy-in to the long term mission that Full Metal Burgers represents. We are trying to revolutionize the restaurant industry by treating it as any other hands-on trade and supporting our staff with respect of their skills and time, fair wages and benefits that are often lacking in this field. It is a daily battle fighting against the tide and traditions of the past but we are in a new world and we’re ready to be the trailblazers.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
I was a barfly and still enjoy the occasional beer or three so my list may be skewed:

Black Plague Brewing (Oceanside), Burgeon Beer Company (Carlsbad) , and Pure Project (Vista) are some of the best breweries in North County and the places that we most often partner with, through no coincidence whatsoever.

O’Sullivans Irish Pub in Escondido (R.I.P. Carlsbad location) for the best pint of Guinness in San Diego and the Corned Beef Quesadilla or Reuben is phenomenal. Obviously the Fish & Chips is a close third

Never been but you can ski or snowboard, ride dirt-bikes in the desert and surf all in the same day if you are motivated enough and can beat the traffic

Balboa Park and the museums are a must

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My wife, Laura, for her endless support and tenacity enduring the challenges we’ve taken on in this venture.

My team who are immensely talented, dedicated and ready to run through walls for us at a moments notice

All of our Black Card holders, family, friends, and patrons that have supported us throughout the years and helped us survive

Website: www.fullmetalburgers.com

Instagram: @fullmetalburgers

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ben-burley-266a1028/

Twitter: @fullmetalburger

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/fullmetalburgers/

Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/full-metal-burgers-oceanside-239

Image Credits
Brooke Limperis