Frustrated with the rising prices and declining quality at current fast food chains, Mike Storm decided it was time for a change. He opened Storm Burger in Inglewood two years ago with a refreshed take on fast food, taking it beyond convenience, focusing on fresh ingredients and good food for an affordable price.
“We’re going against the grain of what big corporations are doing, and we don’t want to ever be those big corporations,” Finance and Operations Manager Omkar Ganesan said.
Storm Burger has been going strong since. Last week, they opened a second location at Cherry Avenue and South Street, bringing their mission to Long Beach for the first time.
The idea of creating a better fast food restaurant really resonated with Ganesan as someone who grew up eating it frequently.
“I lived off of fast food for the longest time,” Ganesan said. “As the years went on, the price of fast food started going up and up and up, and the ingredients started going up and up and up. So for me personally, I kind of missed that old school fast food vibe, where people can bring their families, have a good experience at the restaurant and actually enjoy being here, while also getting a good meal for the same price.”
Chef Myron Moore brings a different experience with fast food to the table. Growing up, he wasn’t allowed to have a lot of fast food. His parents warned it was unhealthy. Moore learned how to cook from his parents and his grandfather, who worked as a chef. Now, he is using those skills to change the game.
“I wanted to bring something very close to home cooking in the fast food land,” Moore said.
As a lead chef, he ensures quality in every step: the patties are a blend of beef chuck, brisket and steak trim from a local butcher in Inglewood; their buns, which come from a bakery in Inglewood, only have seven ingredients compared to McDonald’s buns that have up to 14; the chicken is hand-breaded and all the sauces are made in-house.
Put together, these carefully crafted elements give customers a full meal, including fries and a drink, for under $15.
This reinvention extends to Storm Burger’s atmosphere as well.
“I think it’s different than most places, because from my experience, the moment I’m at one of the fast food restaurants, I’m trying to get out of there as soon as possible. We want to make this a place where people are welcome if they want to stay here, have a good time and enjoy the time with their family.”
The owners also plan to give back to the community as much as possible.
“We’re trying to come into communities that other companies may not want to come to, but we want to just add more value to valuable neighborhoods,” Moore said.
Though they just opened in Long Beach, the team at Storm Burger has already participated in events such as a Juneteenth celebration at Rainbow Lagoon Park and Long Beach City College’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities fair in October. Last week, they offered free food to seniors at Jordan High School who came in with their school ID.
Storm Burger also plans to keep hiring local youth. According to Ganesan, many of their student employees play on Jordan High School’s girls varsity basketball team.
“For me, trying to give as much knowledge to the kids as possible so they can grow into leaders in the company is something that’s extremely rewarding,” Ganesan said.
Storm Burger, 5801 Cherry Avenue, is open every day from 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.