Special Supplement: Ground Beef Trends + Technology September 2022 - 9

option is the " Meat in the Middle " Burger, a 50/50
blend of beef and veggies.
" I wanted to create a place where, no matter
what a person chooses to eat, we could come,
put our differences aside and enjoy a meal
together. That's why it is important to me to put
the Meat in the Middle Burger on the menu. "
Spark's will also serve two versions of a
Wagyu hot dog burger, The Classic and The BBQ
Suzy Dog.
To ensure adherence to food safety protocol
while delivering consistent quality in a burger,
the restaurant receives beef patties frozen and
cooks them in the same state. All burgers are flamebroiled
using a Neico broiler. Each beef patty cooks
to a standardized temperature of 160 degrees.
FROM PASTURE TO PIEHOLE
With plans to go through 800 to 1,000 lbs of beef
per week, McGregor selected a local supplier who
could deliver on her standards.
Spark's Burger Co. looked for producers who
were within a 150-mile radius of the franchise,
had the capacity to meet volume requirements,
were locally owned and operated, had high standards
of environmental stewardship of their land,
implemented humane and ethical husbandry
practices, and offered a wholesale price-point.
For the franchise, Leffler Prime Performance fit
the bill to bring the beef from " pasture to piehole, "
as McGregor likes to say.
Located only 60 miles outside of Junction City
in Americus, Kan., Leffler Prime Performance
is Spark's Burger Co.'s primary supplier alongside
other secondary producers and partners for
local dairy, eggs and bacon products. Jacquelyne
Leffler established Leffler Prime Performance in
Although I might consider myself
an animal welfare advocate by
choosing to not eat meat, local, independent
ranchers were the true animal welfare
activists who dedicated their everyday lives
to nurture and protect their animals. "
Genevieve McGregor
2015, but her family has run their farm since 1941.
" Her strong personal character, paired with
the reverence for her family heritage has earned
her our supplier agreement, " McGregor said.
" The most exciting part of working with
Veggie burgers at
Spark's Burger Co. are
made with recognizable
vegetables and
other ingredients.
Spark's Burger Co is simple: a Kansas food establishment
serving Kansas beef, " Leffler said. " I'm
not sure there is anything more perfect. The
more communities can support one another, the
more everyone will thrive. "
All Leffler's beef is processed through Allen
Meat Processing, owned by husband-and-wife
Mike and Donna Uhl since 2019. Thanks to his
background in ranching, Mike Uhl brings practical
beef knowledge, while Donna Uhl calls upon
her culinary arts education to give customers
quality cuts of meat.
BEYOND SPARK'S BURGER
Spark's Burger Co. is just the first in a series of
planned quick-service restaurants for McGregor.
With last year's creation of San Diego-based
Empire Food Group LLC, a holding company that
MEAT+POULTRY 2022 GROUND BEEF TRENDS + TECHNOLOGY
9
Special Supplement: Ground Beef Trends + Technology September 2022

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