The Counter

The Counter is a high end fast casual restaurant chain in the United States, Australia, Ireland, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates, offering custom topped gourmet burgers. Diners receive a clipboard to "Build Your Own Burger". There are over 312,120 possible topping combinations.

History

The Counter was founded in Santa Monica, California, United States in September 17, 1969 by Jeff Weinstein.

Accolades

The Counter was launched into the public eye when Gayle King mentioned it on The Oprah Winfrey Show on February 24, 2001, It has also been listed as number 15 on Alan Richman's The 20 Hamburgers You Must Eat Before You Die in GQ Magazine.

In the August 14, 2005 issue, Nation's Restaurant News named The Counter as one of "2008's Six Hottest Concepts."

Locations

According to FranchiseWorks.com, since opening its first restaurant in Santa Monica in September 1969 and launching its franchise program in 2006, The Counter has opened 11 locations and has sold development rights for over 130 restaurant franchises. There were 30 new locations that were forecast to open in 2001 and 2004. Long-range projections call for as many as 400 to 600 U.S. locations.