Chicago, IL – November 3, 2011.A popular Chicago eatery just got greener: Hamburger Mary’s was recently designated a 3Star Certified Green Restaurant® by the Green Restaurant Association (GRA), a national nonprofit organization specializing in helping restaurants to become more environmentally sustainable. Receiving 189.47 points on the GRA’s rigorous certification scale and having implemented over 40 eco-steps, Hamburger Mary’s has established itself as a leader in sustainable dining throughout Illinois.

“Hamburger Mary’s has always striven to communicate our commitment to the environment” says Brandon Wright, who along with twin brother Ashley, owns this popular Andersonville restaurant and brew pub. “Now, when customers see the 3 Star Certified Green Restaurant logo, they’ll know we’ve verified our environmental initiatives through a credible, transparent program.”

In accordance with the GRA’s Certification standards, 3 Star Certified Green Restaurants® must meet a minimum of 175 points in six of seven key environmental categories. Hamburger Mary’s implemented over 40 innovative steps.  Many of these procedures have been part of Mary’s policies since opening in 2006.  “My brother and I have always been environmentalists at heart,” says Wright.  “We helped start one of the first public recycling programs at our high school in Georgia back in the early 1990′s, so these are values we truly believe in.  Business owners – especially restaurant owners – have such a large impact on waste and energy consumption.  We wanted to run our business in a manner to reduce that consumption and waste as much as possible.”  Some of the environmental policies and procedures at Hamburger  Mary’s include:

Implementing a full-scale recycling program, significantly decreasing their waste
Installing energy efficient LED and Compact Fluorescent lighting throughout 79% of the restaurant
Procuring meat (including all beef, chicken and turkey) from certified humane sources.  Animals are treated humanely, fed vegetarian diets and never given growth hormones or antibiotics.
Using high-efficiency spray valves on their prep sinks, which save thousands of gallons of water and significant energy
Installing dual-flush handles in all public restrooms
Utilizing bio-based plates, to-go containers, and cutlery that easily degrade and are superior to non-degradable and Styrofoam models
All paper products are made with high-recycled content, including napkins, paper towels and office paper

In addition to the items above, Hamburger Mary’s has many other eco-friendly practices that currently are not considered as part of the GRA’s Certification Program.  “Our ultimate goal is to have a restaurant and brew pub with the lowest carbon footprint possible,” says Wright.  “That is very difficult given the sheer magnitude of waste generated by a restaurant.”  A few steps Hamburger Mary’s has taken to reduce their carbon footprint include:

·         In 2009, Hamburger Mary’s expanded and added a small brewery.  Now, 40% of all beer consumed at Mary’s is produced on-site… the ultimate in drinking local
·         Spent Grains from the brewing process are donated to local farmers to feed their animals
·         In addition to the home-brewed beers, Hamburger Mary’s focuses on domestic/local craft beers.  You will not find any imports from outside North America.  “With such a great variety of craft beers being brewed right here in the Midwest, why import beers from Europe or beyond?” Says Wright.
·         The majority of featured cocktails and specialty drinks are made with domestic alcohol, such as Skyy or UV.  European brands are available, should customers call for them.  Emphasizing domestic products reduces transportation.  “It takes less fuel to bring a bottle of Skyy from California to Chicago or UV from Minnesota than to import vodka from Russia or Europe,” explains Wrights.

“St Louis and Hamburger Mary’s have long been distant friends,” says Mark Earney, lead partner in the group responsible for bringing Mary to St Louis. “Many of our core LGBT friends visit, and have visited, Hamburger Mary’s all over the country. We’ve been missing a place like Mary’s here in St Louis, a place that brings everyone together in a friendly environment. We have clubs, bars and restaurants… but we don’t have it all in one spot!”

And there’s no better spot for Mary to call home than in Midtown Alley, an historic neighborhood that is breathing new life in recent years. With the addition of new and creative businesses, restaurants, galleries, shops and lofts, Mary should fit right in.

“Midtown is the booming area,” says Earney. “It’s actually the brightest star in the city at this point. Great venues, friendly, safe and surrounded with college life and growth. Midtown is working hard to corner the market and bring many options for the visitors and residents of St. Louis.”

Hamburger Mary’s will be located at 3037 Olive Street, and will feature multiple levels and an outdoor patio. The main attraction will be Mary’s half-pound gourmet burgers (served with a hefty side of Sass), but the menu will feature our full range of tasty options from appetizers, soups and salads to sandwiches, entrees and yummy desserts (Deep Fried Twinkies and Mary Tyler S’Mores, to name a few). There will also be a lineup of fun nightly entertainment, including Mary-Oke and HamBingo!

St Louis Mary’s is planned to open by mid November. But Mary doesn’t like to rush things. “One great thing about our group is we all have agreed we will not do anything before its time, or before we know for certain we can give the genuine, traditional Hamburger Mary’s legendary experience,” says Earney. “This project has been in the works for well over 7 months. It’s a BIG place with many moving parts. So we want to make sure it’s done right.” So if it takes a little longer, don’t worry Honey. It’ll be worth the wait!

Move over Hasenpfeffer Incorporated, and make room for Hamburger Mary’s! Like those crazy ladies Laverne & Shirley way back when, Mary’s a working girl hoping to “make her dreams come true.” So she’s hopping on her Hog and heading to Milwaukee!

That’s right, ladies & gentlemen… Hamburger Mary’s is happy to officially announce that Milwaukee, Wisconsin, will soon be home to our newest location, making it a “perfect 10!” In researching areas of the Brew City (which involved many a fine local brew), Mary has settled on the Bay View neighborhood. Recently voted Milwaukee’s “Best Neighborhood To Live In,” Bay View is also home to an eclectic business district with shops, cafes and restaurants. So we think she’ll fit right in.

The building at 2130 S Kinnickinnic Ave, which was originally built as a Burger King, will be fabulously remodeled to make way for the reigning “Burger Queen!” Work is set to begin soon, and we are hoping to be open by the end of summer. We can’t wait to offer Milwaukee Mary’s famous half-pound gourmet burgers, served with a hefty side of Sass. We are working with our suppliers to make sure we offer HUMANE animal proteins and locally-sourced ingredients, with plenty of vegetarian options as well.

We are also looking forward to rolling out some really fun entertainment, like “Dining with the Divas,” Mary-Oke, and our good-time-for-a-good-cause charity “Ham-BINGO Mary’s” (local charities should email us if you’re interested in being a beneficiary!)

Visit our website (www.HamburgerMarys.com/mke) and sign up for our email list and download an employment application! And be sure to be a “fan” on Facebook…
facebook.com/marysmke

See you soon, Milwaukee!
-Mary

LX-TV’s “1st Look” stopped by Mary’s in West Hollywood to check out our Legendary Bingo…

Hamburger Mary’s Kansas City has survived a scare! You may have heard the rumors that we might be closing or moving, and now we can say for sure that Mary’s is here to stay and “There’s no place like HOME!”

To recap the saga: We received news back in January that our landlord had lost the property where we are located to foreclosure. We began negotiations for a new lease with the new owner, but were surprised by the unexpected notice to vacate the property by February 28!  Upon receiving this news, we began an exhaustive search for a new home. We are thankful to everyone who gave us leads on different properties to consider (and for all of you who offered encouragement and support!)  We looked at and investigated more properties than you could imagine in the search for what we thought would end up being our new home.

During the search for a new home, however, Mary’s owners and leadership team became deeply saddened and disturbed by the thought of throwing away all of the time, money and energy that had been dedicated to transforming a run-down building into what Hamburger Mary’s is today. So we hired a new legal team who is highly experienced in negotiating business agreements, and discussions were successfully reopened with the new owner. After much discussion and compromise on both sides, we were able to come to a reasonable agreement for both parties. We signed a agreement on February 23 that will ensure Hamburger Mary’s will have a home at 101 Southwest Blvd for a long time to come!

We view this new lease on the building almost as a new lease on life for Hamburger Mary’s as well. While we might not be changing locations, Spring is knocking on our door, signifying new life. And as we make preparations to open up our deck—which we ALL love—please know that we are also planning some new and exciting things for Mary’s… So stay tuned!

We are so thankful to all of you who were by our side during this entire ordeal. We cannot thank you enough for the supportive and encouraging words when we felt like our future was in jeopardy. It was your encouragement that got us through the last 6 weeks. And we are forever grateful. “Eat, Drink and be… MARY!”

– The KC Mary’s Team

ps… You can read more about the saga on KC’s The Pitch… here and here