Our second 4food Spotlight features Michael Rodgers, inventor of the MGR Lamb Burger,  #3 in this week’s chart, and at 522 sold to date and counting, by far the best selling lamb (W)holeburger of all time (though Lamb of God at #10 this week looks to have four legs and a tale to tell). In recognition of Michael’s success 4food has agreed to donate 25 cents for every burger sold from the Buildboard Chart this week to St. Mary's Healthcare System for Children, a not-for-profit healthcare organization committed to improving the health and quality of life for children and families with special needs. St. Mary’s serves over 4,000 kids a day in and around NYC and is, as per Michael, “an AWESOME place!”

Recognizing Michael’s contribution to 4food and St. Mary’s contribution to New York City, Michael (Shuman) and I will both match 4food’s contribution.  You can do your part by purchasing burgers off the chart.

The Interview:
1.    What caused you to build your first (W)holeburger? 
       ==>    I liked the concept of being able to select exactly what I wanted on a burger.
2.    What was your influence/intent in building your burger? 
       ==>    I was hungry for a good burger that I wouldn't feel guilty about eating.
3.    Did you have a specific inspiration? 
       ==>    Not really, it was just what sounded good.
4.    How do you describe it? 
       ==>    All of my favorite ingredients on one sandwich, perfection!
5.    Why did you choose these particular burger components? 
       ==>    See #4
6.    Why Lamb? 
       ==>    You can rarely order a lamb burger unless you're at a restaurant. So it was a nice option for lunch... not to mention it's my favorite meat!
7.    What tactics have you used to market your burger?  Do you think you'll get MGR to #1? 
       ==>    Actually, I haven't really "marketed" the MGR lamb burger.  I tell friends and family about it when we walk by the store, but maybe I should launch a campaign to get MGR to the top... thanks for the suggestion.
8.    Is it true that you brought your Mom into 4food to witness your chart success? Or is that story an urban legend? 
       ==>    It's true.  She was visiting the city and we were in the neighbor hood so I had to show her my bow tie on the menu.
9.    What did she think? 
       ==>    She thought it was another crazy/fun idea that would only happen in NYC.
10.    What do you do with the 4food-$ you have earned? 
       ==>    Buy more MGR lamb burgers!
11.    What does 4food mean to you?
       ==>    Likes: You can really "have it your way"!  I also like that I can order on-line from my desk, walk to the end of the block and it’s ready!
       ==>    Dislikes: If I forget to order on-line, you have to wait a while in the store.

ON THE BUILDBOARD CHART:

In chart news this week, viral video star Antoine Dodson was arrested Saturday in Alabama for marijuana possession and other minor offenses. Antoine Dodson is the inspiration for jennydeluxe’s Buildboard monster, the Brioche-Beef-RedCabbageSlaw-Swiss-Lettuce-Tomato-Pickle-BBQ-Ketchup Bed Intruder Burger. Judging by his tweets, Dodson age 24, isn't all that upset about it. "Let me be the first to tell it! So just got out of jail off a weak charge!" Dodson said in a Saturday afternoon tweet. "Got pulled over in my Benz and they got me. I’ve never been in jail except that time in grade school." Antoine, best wishes from all of us at 4food, and should you pass by - your meal is on us.  You see that grass really is greener on the other side.

SO-DA-MN-BETTER!

Soda’s roots go back to natural springs and their legendary curative powers.  Scientists discovered that carbon dioxide caused the bubbles in mineral waters, and began to look for ways of replicating the process artificially.

In 1767, Dr. Joseph Priestley created the first drinkable man-made carbonated water in England.  Carbonated beverages did not catch on in the U.S. until 1832, when John Mathews invented a machine that made carbonated water in store, which he then distributed to soda fountains in all 50 states.

Drinking soda was considered a healthy practice, and pharmacists began to add medicinal and flavorful herbs like birch bark, dandelion, sarsaparilla, and fruit extracts to differentiate their inventions.  The soft drink bottling industry came about because consumers wanted to take their "health" drinks home with them.

In May 1886, Doctor John Pemberton, a pharmacist from Atlanta, Georgia, invented Coca Cola in a three legged brass kettle in his backyard. The original formula contained caffeine and five ounces of coca leaf per gallon of syrup (a significant amount).  In 1903 the cocaine was removed though Coca Cola still contains coca flavoring.

Coke was first sold to the public from the soda fountain in Jacob's Pharmacy in Atlanta on May 8, 1886.  It was initially a flop: Jacob’s sold nine servings per day and sales for that first year totaled about $50, $20 less than it cost John Pemberton to produce.

In 1887, another Atlanta pharmacist and businessman, Asa Candler, bought the formula for Coca Cola from inventor John Pemberton for $2,300. By the late 1890s, Asa had so effectively marketed Coke that it had become the most popular soda in the U.S.

Since 1980 in the U.S. Coke has been made with high-fructose corn syrup [“HFCS”], originally in combination with more expensive cane sugar, but by late 1984 Coke was sweetened entirely with HFCS.  Since then incidences of type 2 diabetes have doubled in the U.S. and there have been historic increases in obesity, propelled by the empty calories of the HFCS sweetened, mass-market sodas.  

Recently, national brands like Jones Soda Co and Boylan Bottling Company, and local brands like Brooklyn Soda Works and P & H Soda Company, have introduced naturally flavored de-junked sodas sweetened by cane sugar and fruit juices. 

Since day one, 4food has produced handcrafted, made-to-order sodas for our guests. Taking a cue from the pharmacists who first infused herb tonics into carbonated water, our sodas are made of all natural fruit and herb tonics, sweetened with organic agave nectar, and poured over triple filtered Natura sparkling water on tap. This summer our world class Mango Chai, White Peach Rosehip, and Hibiscus Berry sodas will be joined by new and classic flavors.

In the 4food Spotlight celebrates you - our Guests, who have built almost 20,000
different (W)holeburgers and who compete so hard to top the Buildboard Chart, and
to earn 4food$.

Our first 4food Burgermaster (alternatively spelled Burgomeister, literally master of
the location or store) is Randall Newman, creator of Cali4nication, this week’s best
selling build.

To find out what makes Randall tick and what ticks him off about 4food we asked a
few questions, and got an equal amount of answers:

1. What caused you to build your first (W)holeburger?
So I could order it again in a flash.

2. What was your influence/intent in building your burger?
I wanted to build the tastiest healthy burger imaginable.

3. Did you have a specific inspiration?
In another life I worked at a hip Chinese inspired restaurant run by hippy surfers that
served really healthy tasty food. I thought I would try to bring that spin on a burger to
NYC.

4. How do you describe it?
A bit sweet, a bit spicy, and bit of surprise.

5. Why did you choose these particular burger components?
Each component tastes amazing on its own. Trial and error. Took about ten tries to get
it right. Perseverance I guess.

6. What tactics have you used to market your burger?
Lots and lots of badgering of my friends at work. I tweeted once too. I only have 2
followers though. Rnewmsy is my handle.

7. Have you a follow-up in the works?
I do indeed have a follow-up coming. Stay tuned. It may raise the bar.

8. What do with the 4food$ you have earned?
I eat more 4food of course. Best part is I don't have to feel guilty about it because it's
good food.

9. What does 4food mean to you?
Likes
4food is like my burger. You really can't have it often enough.

Dislikes
Only thing I dislike is when I see my burger sold out. Then I need to figure out what to
eat! Being creative can be exhausting.

10. Tell us about the photo. Who’s the girl?
I found her online and thought she’d sell a lot of burgers!

Thanks Randall, you are a Burgermaster.

LIBYAN DEMOCRACY WITH A BULLET

Newmanra’s Multigrain-Turkey-Spinach and Pine Nuts-Avocado-Manchego-Hummus-Sweet Chili-Onion Cali4nication is dominant this week with sales 42% greater than Rodgermg’s MGR Lamb at #2, and having vanquished its Golden State rival aharris’sCaliburger - the best selling (W)holeburger of all time - which falls 6-places to #10. How a burger named after a consensual act can be so predatory is something only newmanra can answer. At #3 padrote’s beefy Dark Knight has become something of a dark horse, galloping easily by the rails, waiting for an opportunity to push its nose in front. Meanwhile the sheen is coming off Charlie-boy, as antyson’s “tribute to his messiness Charlie Sheen” #winning slips a place to #4, having earned $48.50 for the American Diabetes Association to date. Office Marriage is at #5 - that Cali4nication and Office Marriage share the same breath says much about the diversity of 4foodies (or does it?). The big mover this week is davidcarlson’s Libyan Democracy, the greatest sales gainer of the week, climbing 4 places to #6, in a
week in which the pro-democracy forces found our support conditional (4now). Did anybody think the endgame through? What exactly happens if the good guys are routed? David, do you have a Death of Democracy sequel in the wings? Finally, Ham and Eggs on Steroids, a so-good-it-should-be-illegal Bagel-Italian Sausage- Hard Boiled Egg-Pancetta Bacon-Cheddar-BBQ-Lettuce-Pickle by mapohlman, which is bubbling under the chart at # 12, representing our fastest growing day-part and
some Cockney in our heritage. In London Ham & Eggs = Legs, which I sincerely hope this build has to spare/share.