Best of OSU: Eden Burger is the top dog for vegan eats

Sara Stacy
Thu, 29 Mar 2018 02:24:45 +0000
Arts & Life, Best of OSU, Dining, best of OSU 2018, best vegan option, brunch, burgers, donuts, eden burger, juice, milkshakes, organic, potato salad, vegans

Eden Burger serves vegan and organic burgers, fries and milkshakes. The eatery plans to expand its menu to include brunch options in the near future. Credit: Courtesy of Eden Burger

Eden Burger opened its doors in late July, and since then has flipped and fried its way into the plant-based hearts and stomachs of students.

Located at 1437 N. High St., Eden Burger is a short walk or bus ride from campus. Chad Goodwin, one of the co-founders of Eden Burger, said he and his team are working to make their products more affordable for students.

“It’s tight being in school on a budget, only getting to work a certain amount of hours. You got to be wise where you invest your money,” Goodwin said.

All of Eden Burger’s ingredients are organic, which contributes to its prices. Its burgers — crafted with beans, rice, pumpkin seeds and a variety of spices — run for around $10, and milkshakes are priced between $7 and $9.

One way Eden Burger’s owners hope to offset the costs of owning and operating the restaurant is opening a new location and obtaining a warehouse for storing ingredients. Goodwin said his team has its eyes on the Short North and Clintonville — both neighborhoods that would better match Eden Burger’s prices.

While Eden Burger is working to expand into the Columbus community, Goodwin said the restaurant also has been able to connect with Ohio State students through mediums other than food. Several classes have worked with Goodwin and his team for class projects, such as a business class creating a hypothetical model of a vegan restaurant.

“We definitely do have these channels of communication open with the university, which is really cool, and we do see a large amount of people, and I think that will continue to grow as our prices lower,” Goodwin said.

Eden Burger also has been expanding its food offerings. The store recently began serving several grab-and-go options, including potato salad and local juices. In April, it will begin hosting coffee-and-doughnut events on weekends to test the waters for future brunch menus.

While the business is expanding rapidly, Goodwin said he is most excited to see the growth of employees who have been with the company since the beginning.

“We’ve had these people that we hired in August that are still rocking with us that have been generating incredible amounts of value, and I’m excited to give them more upward mobility,” he said.