BEEFING UP BUSINESS: The Impact of Winning Iowa's Best Burger Contest

Winning a prestigious contest can be a game-changer for any business. For JJ’s Tavern + Grill in Ankeny, earning the title of Iowa’s Best Burger in 2024 did more than boost their reputation – it significantly impacted their bottom line, attracted out-of-state customers and ignited community engagement.

The restaurant, owned by Rick and Lilia Romero, opened on Black Friday, Nov. 29, 2023. From the moment they secured a spot in Iowa’s Best Burger Top 10 rankings, their business saw a rapid transformation.

“Before making the Top 10, we were selling a modest 42 burgers per day,” Rick Romero explains. “After being crowned Iowa’s Best Burger in May, sales skyrocketed to 250 burgers a day – a 495% increase. Smash patties saw an even greater leap, from 55 per day to 472, a 758% jump. This surge in demand went from moving half a case of beef per day to requiring seven cases daily.”

The month of May became a record-breaking period for the restaurant. JJ’s sold 7,746 burgers and 14,631 smash patties that month alone, marking a 1,565% increase in burger sales and a 2,113% spike in smash patties compared to pre-nomination figures. Winning the contest transformed JJ’s from a local favorite to a regional hotspot.

“The impact of the contest wasn’t just limited to burgers. We had hundreds of customers flocking to the restaurant from as far away as Wisconsin, Nebraska, Illinois, and even Ireland; the ripple effect was felt across the community,” he says. “Nearby restaurants benefitted from overflow when customers couldn’t get a table at JJ’s. Area businesses also saw increased traffic as visitors took the opportunity to shop around Ankeny during their burger pilgrimage.”

Numbers Behind the Success: By the Cases and Pounds
The sales boom didn’t stop at burgers. After earning the coveted Best Burger crown, JJ’s saw increases in many food items in May, June and July:

• Cases of French fries consumed: 840 (equivalent to 4,200 pounds)
• Gallons of ranch dressing used: 57
  
• Cases of buns: 301
  
• Biggest sales day: May 3 – $10,668.52
• Overall sales in May outpaced previous records by an average of 134%. 

Opening Doors for Sustained Beef Promotions
Winning Iowa’s Best Burger Contest not only boosted their sales but also opened doors for collaboration within the community.

“We are working with local schools to launch a burger battle competition, where the winning school will receive a $5,000 donation, and the runner-up will secure $3,000,” Romero adds. “The wave of success has also fostered connections with other restaurants, including the Top 10 finalists, further establishing JJ’s as a hub for both burgers and community spirit.”

BEEFING UP AWARENESS ACROSS IOWA

In addition to Iowa’s Best Burger Contest providing a substantial sales boost to JJ’s and other finalists, the contest also served as a catalyst to showcase Iowa’s beef industry through a strategic approach of earned (unpaid) and paid promotions. Data shows the promotion’s success drove awareness of the contest – and, in turn, Iowa’s beef producers – along with increasing website and social media traffic.

• Earned media mentions and reach: News of the contest resulted in nearly 300 unpaid mentions with a potential reach of 99.5 million through broadcast, social and news media outlets.
• Online ads drove participation: Online ads targeted Iowa restaurant owners and encouraged participation in this year’s contest and resulted in more than 578,000 impressions and 3,283 clicks to iabeef.org.
• Website traffic increase: General contest promotion digital ads resulted in 2.3 million impressions and more than 15,000 clicks to iabeef.org.
• Nomination and restaurant surge: The contest yielded 7,558 nominations for more than 500 Iowa restaurants with approximately 930 best burger asset downloads (table tents, flyers and flyer handouts) from iabeef.org.
• Influencers drive home a beef message: Launched two Top 10 Iowa’s Best Burger Hummingbird (influencers) campaigns, including one in collaboration with Iowa Corn. The promotion included the selection of 27 influencers to highlight their visit to one of Iowa’s Top 10 Best Burger winners and incorporate fueling up with Unleaded 88 on their trip. This campaign garnered 30,441 video views.

A MODEL OF SUCCESS: IOWA BEEF COUNCIL’S ROLE IN WISCONSIN’S BEST BURGER CONTEST

The impact of Iowa’s Best Burger Contest extends beyond state lines. The Wisconsin Beef Council, inspired by Iowa’s success, launched its own burger contest to much fanfare earlier this year. 

“The Wisconsin Beef Council’s Best Burger Contest was born out of admiration for the success of Iowa’s Best Burger Contest,” explains Wisconsin Executive Director Tammy Vaassen. “The idea took shape after years of watching Iowa’s program grow in reach and influence. We reached out to Iowa for guidance on navigating budget and logistical hurdles.”

With support from its board, the Wisconsin Beef Council decided that a food service-based program was the best route to boost demand for beef and officially kicked off the Wisconsin Best Burger Contest in early 2024.

A Strong Launch with Remarkable Results
The contest kicked off with impressive results. During the first weekend of nominations, it received between 700 and 800 entries. Vaassen and her team were blown away by the quick response, crediting restaurants for driving their own nominations and widespread media interest. As the contest advanced, the Wisconsin Beef Council announced its Elite 8 finalists on April 1, sparking even more excitement.

Media exposure played a crucial role in the contest’s success. Wisconsin garnered a massive reach, with almost 1 million impressions on Facebook from the Elite 8 announcement alone. The contest had an estimated editorial reach of over 113 million across television, social media, print and radio. This equated to an advertising value of $1.1 million – a tremendous boost for both the contest and the Wisconsin Beef Council’s brand awareness.

The media attention translated into real-world results for participating restaurants. Consumers responded enthusiastically, driving foot traffic to restaurants and bolstering local economies. The finalist restaurants saw a significant increase in business, with one reporting a 530% boost in burger sales between April 1 and June 1.

The Wisconsin Beef Council’s farmer board was delighted by the contest’s outcomes, particularly the tangible impact on beef sales. 

“Being able to tell our board how many pounds of beef were sold as a direct result of the contest was exciting,” Vaassen says. “This measurable increase gave the Council a unique opportunity to showcase how promotional efforts were driving demand for beef in a clear and impactful way.”

A Growing Future for Wisconsin’s Best Burger Contest
Looking ahead, Wisconsin’s Best Burger Contest is poised for continued success. With strong board support, the contest will return in 2025 with even more momentum.

The ripple effect of the promotion’s success has extended beyond the state, with other states like Arkansas launching their own burger contests inspired by Wisconsin and Iowa. With continued collaboration between state beef councils, statewide Best Burger Contests are a powerful tool for promoting beef, connecting consumers to producers and delivering measurable results for the beef industry.

THE NEW YORK CONNECTION: PARTNERING TO PROMOTE BEEF

Across the country, the success of Iowa’s Best Burger Contest in growing demand for beef prompted the New York Beef Council to embrace the concept several years ago.

“We operate a bit differently due to our ‘consumer-rich and cattle-poor’ status,” explains Chrissy Claudio, director of producer communications and consumer engagement for the New York Beef Council. “Unlike beef-heavy states like Iowa, New York has fewer cattle and fewer marketing dollars, so we partner with states like Iowa and others to help fund consumer promotions.”

Claudio credits Iowa for helping streamline its Best New York Burger Competition, addressing logistical challenges and improving efficiency. This collaboration has been pivotal for the state, which held its eighth-annual competition in 2024.

Despite its smaller scale compared to Iowa, New York’s burger contest is highly cost-effective. The competition costs between $3,000 and $5,000 to run; yet, it still generates significant excitement and participation. Each year, the contest drives 30,000 to 35,000 website visitors and helps grow their consumer email list by around 6,000 new subscribers. This tactic strengthens the New York Beef Council’s ongoing engagement with consumers, fostering continued interaction beyond the contest.

One significant improvement in the contest’s structure was the suggestion to use secret judges, similar to how Iowa’s contest operates. This addition added excitement and allowed 30 New York beef producers to participate directly and see firsthand the competition’s importance to restaurants and beef sales.

The success of these programs is largely thanks to partnerships with states like Iowa. As Claudio notes, without their financial backing, New York wouldn’t be able to run such effective promotions. These collaborations highlight the importance of shared resources in promoting beef on a national scale.

THE POWER OF A BURGER CONTEST

For JJ’s winning Iowa’s Best Burger Contest has been a life-changing experience, transforming a small restaurant into a regional destination. But JJ’s success is just one example of how this annual Best Burger contest drives business growth and elevates the beef industry. Whether it’s helping states like Wisconsin launch their own contests or providing financial support to New York’s beef promotions, the efforts of the Iowa Beef Industry Council and Iowa Cattlemen’s Association underscore the profound impact of strategic marketing on beef sales.

As winning Best Burger destinations thrive, it’s clear that contests like these do more than just crown a winner – they build community, drive local economies, and promote the beef industry in innovative and exciting ways.

###

About the Iowa Beef Industry Council: The Iowa Beef Industry Council is funded by the $1-per-head National Beef Checkoff Program and the $0.50-per-head Iowa State Beef Checkoff. Checkoff dollars are invested in beef promotion, consumer information, research, industry information and foreign market development, all with the purpose of strengthening beef demand. For more information, visit www.iabeef.org.

About the Iowa Cattlemen's Association: The Iowa Cattlemen’s Association represents nearly 8,000 beef cattle producer families and associated companies dedicated to the future of Iowa’s beef cattle industry. ICA’s mission is to “Grow Iowa’s beef cattle business through advocacy, leadership, and education.” www.iacattlemen.org.