The American Dream comes true in Hungary – Zing Burger + Secret recipes

Zing Burger & Co is a continually expanding restaurant chain. Currently, they have 9 locations in the country, out of which 8 is in Budapest. Check them out here.

Zing is a dog-friendly place as we discussed here, click here, here and here to find even more dog-friendly restaurants in Budapest.

The Zing Story

Zing started in 2013 with not more than a food truck, as written on their website. Eszter Csanda and Susánszky Ádám, the founders of the company, had in mind the renewal of street food in Hungary. Zing started small, with serving the hamburgers on festivals of the capital city.

Photo: www.facebook.com/ZingBurger&Co

The turnover skyrocketed as people started to discover the Zing experience and a Zing place opened its gates in 2014. In 2016 came the most significant expansion, new locations popped up like mushrooms. Both on the Buda and Pest side of the capital got zinged, including Király Street, Széll Kálmán tér and Allee.

At the Inner City location (in Nádor Street) they even offer dinner menus besides their delicious hamburgers.

The boom in 2016 meant Zing became a brand, it was no longer a small business. Basically, Zing became a fast food restaurant chain starting with just one food truck in Budapest.

But why is it successful?

Zing credits success to only using high-quality ingredients, in fact, this is their principle, they even have a motto of:

“A hamburger is nothing more, than a good bun and a good patty. How to spoil it? It’s up to you.”

Photo: www.facebook.com/ZingBurger&Co

At Zing guests get a high-quality bun: mainly Békés county grains are ground into flour at Szabó Mill. Not to speak if the Angus beef patties they are well-known for. They even have a private label soft drink, Zing Limo, which contains no artificial colouring, aroma or preservatives.

Where are my secret recipes? Share them already

ZING Chili-Mayo
1 egg
200 ml olive oil
1 tablespoon Colemans mustard (powder)
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
2 tablespoon siracha chilli-sauce
1 teaspoon salt

In a medium-sized bowl, whisk egg, vinegar, salt, mustard powder and chilli sauce. Gradually whisk in the oil. It makes a perfect home-made mayo in about 2 minutes.

Photo: www.facebook.com/ZingBurger&Co

ZING Home-Made Mustard
100 gr mustard powder (Colemans or some other quality mustard)
80 gr apple vinegar
120 gr sugar syrup
10 gr salt
10 gr freshly squeezed lemon

Mix the 1:1 ratio sugar syrup with the apple vinegar, salt and squeezed lemon. Don’t let its temperature go above 40-50 Celsius. Blend in the mustard powder, and let it simmer on low heat for 10-15 minutes (and it will lose its bite).

Leave alone in the air for a day so that mustard gas could go away; then store it in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Photo: www.facebook.com/ZingBurger&Co

Time to Get Zingged – The franchise

Ádám Susánszky stated in Világgazdaság that the next step to come for the company is franchising. Zing, hopefully, will be found in every big city in Hungary, in Debrecen, Pécs and Győr among others. They started the expansion in Szeged with a temporary location available in the summer season.

Susánszky is optimistic about expanding outside the borders of Hungary, as they appear in neighbouring countries for special events and experience success. Interests in franchising are already coming from Slovenia, Slovakia and Romania.