As always, South St.’s 100 per cent pure beef burgers, made with beef raised without the use of added hormones or antibiotics are gluten free. So too are the grilled chicken breasts, signature New York Fries, and a variety of the toppings served at all South St. Burger Co. locations, including all the vegetables, mayonnaises, guacamole, the pulled pork topping and cheeses.

Due to the dietary sensitivities affecting customers with gluten allergies, new procedures have been put in place to reduce the chances of cross contamination. Separate knives, cutting boards and toasters have been added to ensure that the gluten free buns are handled with different equipment than the regular buns as well as changing gloves when handling gluten free orders. Although South St. Burger Co. takes precautions, as in the case of all restaurants that offer gluten free menu items alongside ingredients that do contain wheat, there is always a risk that cross contamination may occur. A detailed allergen information sheet is in the works, and will be available for download from the South St. Burger Co. website once it is ready.

South St. Burger Co. is proud to announce the opening of its first store in Dubai. Officially opening its doors on August 17^th, this foray into the Middle East territory marks the gourmet burger brand’s first international location milestone.

The store is located in Dubai’s Ibn Battuta mall on Sheik Zayed Road, and is operated by Al Awael Foods, led by the Afifi brothers. Al Awael Foods is the master licensee and territory franchisor for the company’s sister brand, New York Fries, and owns and operates 22 NYF outlets in the Middle East area, six of which are in prominent Dubai food courts. Since 2003, Al Awael Foods have successfully built the New York Fries brand across the United Arab Emirates, Kingdom of Bahrain, Kuwait and most recently Iraq (Kurdistan).

“This is an exciting time for South St. Burger Co. as we expand beyond the Canadian market,” said Jay Gould, president of South St. Burger Co. and New York Fries. “We’ve had tremendous success with our Middle East partners in developing the New York Fries brand in the United Arab Emirates. Bringing our South St. Burger Co. brand to this market has been a goal of ours for some time and we are thrilled to be grilling our burgers in Dubai.”

Located in Ibn Battuta’s Tunisian food court, the restaurant occupies 768 square feet including an enclosed patio, and is open from 10:00 am – midnight every day.

A second South St. Burger Co. location in Dubai has already been contracted and is set to open on Jumeirah Road at 27B Street in December. Several new locations will be announced later this year as real estate negotiations in this region are ongoing.

About South St. Burger Co.

South St. Burger Co. serves premium food in a contemporary, New York style loft-like environment. The menu features 100% pure, fresh, Angus beef patties from Spring Creek Ranch in Alberta where cattle are raised without the use of added hormones or antibiotics. Sides include New York Fries french fries and a variety of poutines, hand-made onion rings and milkshakes. With the opening of the Dubai location, South St. Burger Co. has grown to 18 restaurants; with 15 in Ontario, three of which are franchised, and two franchised units in Alberta, with four more units in development. Driven by a philosophy that it takes more than good ingredients to make a great burger, South St. Burger Co. has also made a large commitment to the environment, with the company recently winning the Green Leadership Award from Foodservice + Hospitality. In February, the company was recognized as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed.

South St. Burger Co.’s Bayview Village location is proud to announce it has received LEED certification (Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design) for its environmentally sustainable design. LEED is an internationally recognized certification program which encourages and facilitates the development of more sustainable buildings.

South St. Burger Co. is the first burger chain in Ontario to receive LEED certification, as well as the only tenant in Bayview Village to attain this designation. The location features an impressive series of green technology and design elements, demonstrating a commitment to the environment and recognizing the importance of operating sustainably. “In addition to making great food being environmentally conscious is important to our business,” says Jay Gould, president and founder, New York Fries + South St. Burger Co. “Our customers appreciate it and we hope to keep improving in this area as innovative equipment and sustainable technology continues to evolve.”

A few examples of South St. Burger Co.’s Bayview Village’s green initiatives include:

• Water use reduction of 56%
• 87% of the wood used was FSC certified for a healthy world’s forests management
• The heating, venting, air conditioning and refrigeration systems installed do not use CFC‐based refrigerants
• 93.9% of Energy Star eligible equipment and appliances are Energy Star rated
• 38% of construction materials used contain recycled content (post‐consumer and ½ pre‐consumer)
• 30.9% of construction materials were manufactured regionally

About South St. Burger Co.

South St. Burger Co. serves premium food in a contemporary, New York style loft-like environment. The menu features 100% pure, fresh, Angus beef patties from Spring Creek Ranch in Alberta where cattle are raised without the use of added hormones or antibiotics. Sides include New York Fries french fries and a variety of poutines, hand-made onion rings and milkshakes. South St. Burger Co. currently operates 15 restaurants in Ontario and has two franchised unit in Alberta, with four more units in development, including one in Dubai, set to open in August. Driven by a philosophy that it takes more than good ingredients to make a great burger, South St. Burger Co. has also made a large commitment to the environment, choosing to bullfrogpower half their locations and use solar power in two, among other sustainable initiatives. The company recently won the Green Leadership Award from Foodservice + Hospitality and was recognized as one of Canada’s 50 Best Managed Companies in February 2012.