Burger and Other Nostalgia Food of the People

There are certain foods that trigger nostalgia and bring back memories from our past. Famous chefs and food influencers who have a strong relationship with food have one thing in common: the nostalgia connected to the first moment they fell in love with food. It’s not just a home-cooked meal by mom, it’s also in the entertainment and mediums we consume as kids, that plants in us the sense of longing for good food. Nickelodeon, a children’s cable TV channel that’s been around since 1979 and has stayed vital in many millennials' childhoods, is responsible for our nostalgia for drinks and food such as Sugar and Coffee, Orange Soda, and the iconic Good Burger from the kids' variety sketch show, All That.

All That ran for 10 seasons and, just last month, Saturday Night Live comedian and All That alumni Keenan Thompson and Kell Mitchell brought back the show on Nickelodeon with a brand new cast full of Generation Z-ers as the new faces for the reboot. In line with its iconic return, All That’s most beloved sketch segment turned movie, Good Burger, will be opening a pop up in Los Angeles come July 10th.

Nick’s Still Got It

Nickelodeon’s renowned nineties kids show is trying to re-establish itself with a brand new tone to All That, without shedding off its authenticity as a Nickelodeon show. Good Burger has been a crowd favorite amongst many nineties kids. It starred Keenan Thompson and Kell Mitchell, who gained instant fame for their comedic duo as the fast-food restaurant clerks who tried to juggle the arduous job of serving people’s burger cravings.

Good Burger and the Krabby Patty are two iconic foods that came from Nickelodeon shows that have left viewers wondering “What do they actually taste like?” Burgers have become a part of American culture and it continues to evolve as a staple of American diners. The limited-run pop up that is set to open next week will be in Santa Monica Boulevard with a promising theme of All That’s Good Burger. It will cost $30 a ticket for a 90 minute Good Burger experience. Attendees who book online will avail of any entree of their choice, a side item, and a commemorative item from the sketch show, according to food magazine, Eater.

The Fastfood Burger Craze

As the fast food industry burgeons into America’s most profited industry, fried chicken, pizza, french fries, tacos, and hamburgers and the like continue to remain in the front lines of America’s go-to comfort food. In fact, according to financial news site Market Watch, as of 2019, the forecast for the fast food market growth is at a CAGR of 5.6% from 2018 to 2023. The next five years boast even bigger opportunities for fast food to grow with a global market size at $16500 million by 2024, from Q1 revenue of this year at $10200 million, according to Reuters.

The burger industry in the US specifically boasts quite the popularity amongst many Americans, with a high approval rate according to a 2009 report by franchise opportunity website Franchise Help. The report suggests 75% of burger consumers rank quality as its main determinant of a good burger, while 42% account toppings, and affordability as second and third factors to what constitutes a good burger. Considering that many patrons are in favor of a hefty burger meal, it’s no surprise that a whopping 80% of consumers eat at fast food restaurants and burger joints, while 34% of children in the US are reported to consume fast food at least once a day. Burger franchises have also made big bucks in the burger trend with big burger joints like Five Guys Burger and Fries who have been franchising since 2002. They now have 1,100 locations all over North America, with sales amounting to more than $1.1 billion. While McDonald’s and Burger King are two of the most widely franchised fast food chains, their shares continue to grow worldwide with an over 50% increase in shares in the last five years, according to Franchise Help.

The Man Behind the Good Burger

The Good Burger pop-up is a much awaited Los Angeles event that nineties kids and millennials everywhere are keen on checking out, not just for the sake of Nickelodeon nostalgia, but for the actualized taste of how All That made the Good Burger look: way too good. Come 10th of July, customers and Good Burger fans will finally be able to taste the Good Burger thanks to Alvin Cailan, the Angeleno chef that is ready to flip Good Burgers in West Hollywood for this short-run foodie event.

Cailan will not be present every day during the pop-up season but he was definitely active in the recipe development of the first official Good Burger. The LA-based chef gained experience from his time in New York City, where he ran and cooked in his own restaurant called the Usual. He also runs the popular web show, “First We Feast” on YouTube which is known for creating content on burgers. He's also known for appearing on the famous web show, “Hot Ones” with interviewer Sean Evans.