Food trucker Jonathan Anderson’s journey began on the Avenue of the Americas in New York City; where a glimmer of an idea from a former information technology professional at Time Magazine turned into something more. Now, that idea is Big John’s Gourmet Burgers, our latest entry in The Best New Jersey Food Trucks series.
Jonathan earned the nickname “Big John” from his friends. He has spent most of his life in the Garden State, only leaving briefly during his time in the Navy. Upon returning to New Jersey, he enrolled at DeVry Technical School, earning a degree in computer information systems. His career led him to New York City, but fate works in mysterious ways. It took nearly two decades, but Jonathan now runs his own business; serving a range of specialty burgers out of his Big John’s Gourmet Burgers food truck around northern and central NJ.
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It took months to perfect his secret blend of beef and spices and create his signature, decadent burgers. His current success is a testament to his hard work, determination, and of course, tasty burgers. Best of NJ spoke with Jonathan to learn just about everything there is to know about Big John’s Gourmet Burgers; except his secret recipe.
The Best New Jersey Food Trucks Interview: Big John’s Gourmet Burgers
Best of New Jersey: What did you do before you started your food truck?
Jonathan: I worked at Time Magazine for about 17 years. I was an IT person, provided an application, support, a little development work.
BONJ: What gave you the idea to do a truck?
Jonathan: I worked right there at Sixth Avenue, Avenue of the Americas, right across from Radio City; and I would see all the food trucks pull up there for lunch for three hours. They all kept getting lines and I thought, “Wow, these guys are really doing well. They’re their own boss, you know, and they’re all doing well and they’re pulling out of here.” So I started researching while I was still working at Time; just looking at the cost of food trucks and how much it would cost to get something like that going. How you would operate.
Of course, Time doesn’t exist anymore. Time Magazine does, but Time Inc., who I worked for, closed down. Everybody got let go, and I got a package. Instantly, without hesitating, I had an idea: I could stay in IT or do my own thing. And I thought, “Yeah, I’d like to start a food truck.” I’ve always had a thing for burgers. I would drive 45 minutes to find a good burger.
I’d have friends over, and I would make a variety of burgers and ask everybody which one you like most. You know, I tried different types of meats. I even made a burger out of lamb, out of beef short rib, and I settled on ground chuck. I have Angus chuck as my burger. They’re actually big giant burgers. I have a seven-ounce burger, so it’s a nice-sized burger on a brioche bun. Fresh toppings, and a distinct taste.
BONJ: What year did you start Big John’s Gourmet Burgers?
Jonathan: 2017.
BONJ: What was that first season like?
Jonathan: Very hard, very tough. I started in January, which is the slowest time of the year. Tough to find business, tough to find people to want to hire you. Then April came around, and things started opening up. And people were getting to know me, and I was getting to know them. I was able to get some contacts and get more and better jobs.
BONJ: Getting into your menu, what different kinds of burgers do you offer?
Jonathan: I have a regular cheeseburger, which is like a California cheeseburger in a way, lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle. And I call that my Big John Burger. Then I have a bacon cheeseburger. I have a burger called the barbecue bacon, with onion rings on it, bacon, cheddar cheese, with barbecue sauce. Really popular. I have a chili cheese, a mushroom Swiss, a bleu cheese burger, and a vegan burger; and I have the “Sunny Side”, a bacon cheeseburger with a sunny side egg on top. Another burger that I introduced last year was my mac and cheese burger; freshly baked mac and cheese on top of the burger on a brioche bun.
BONJ: Do you offer different types of burgers depending on the season or event?
Jonathan: I have a nice variety, and I usually stick with that. I do offer a hot dog, a fried chicken sandwich, and I’ve got cheese fries with either chili or bacon.
BONJ: Tell us about your catering.
Jonathan: I have three packages. One is a basic. Then I have a “plus,” and then I have a deluxe. Deluxe is my entire menu, which includes cheese fries, every burger that I have, the chicken sandwich, everything.
So if people want to contact me, they can go to my Facebook page. When you go to my Facebook page, from there I have a contact form. And I ask a series of questions: How many people are going to be at your event? And so on.
BONJ: What are some of your favorite events to attend throughout the year?
Jonathan: I do a lot of sporting events for kids, like lacrosse and soccer, and a lot of outdoor events. Kids love burgers, so when they see the burger on the side of my truck, they come running [laughs]. And I like doing school events as well as street festivals and food truck events. I like doing food-truck-specific events where it’s like a wine and beer garden and you have a series of really good food trucks. I usually do well at those.
BONJ: What advice would you give a young food trucker, someone new to the business?
Jonathan: I would say whatever your specialty is, perfect that. Don’t try to do too many different things. And stay consistent. It’s hard to be consistent, you know, so be consistent with what you serve, how you do it. This is why McDonald’s and Burger King work. People know what they’re going to get before they walk in the door because they stay consistent—with the flavor, the taste, the menu. So be consistent.
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All Photos: © Patrick Lombardi / Best of NJ
