Jenny’s Burgers
1233 9th Avenue
(between Irving St & Lincoln Way)
San Francisco, CA 94122
(415) 753-1453
Price: $6 and Up
Monday – Saturday (11am-10pm)
Friday (11am-11pm)
Sunday (11am-9pm)

Most people associate a diner with burgers, milkshakes, and jukebox. Located in the foggy Sunset district, patrons may be surprised to discover that Sliders Diner is owned and operated by Korean immigrants. Husband and wife team Jenny and Charles Lee bought the diner from previous owner in April 2008 and has made a few upgrades.

Stainless steel wall panels and Marilyn Monroe posters create a classic diner ambiance. Made from USDA choice chuck, the cheeseburger ($4.45) are cooked in a revolving mesquite broiler. Compared to pan grilling, the broiler reduces the fat from the meat. Arriving in a circular plate, the cheddar cheeseburger is ready for the assembly line. The do –it- yourself condiment bar features over twenty ingredients.

For a slight earthy note, the alpha sprouts will do the trick. Olives creates a sweet bitter taste and can be rounded out with a spoon of sweet relish. A few iceberg lettuce leaves and sliced onion create crunch. Contrasting the scorching patty, a few slices of red beets add a cooling touch. Another great choice is the grilled chicken breast sandwich ($5.25).

Using their house marinade, the chicken breast is juicy with sweet and spicy flavors. Jenny’s marinade includes soju (Korean rice wine), pepper, soy sauce, and sugar. An order of the crispy onion rings ($2.65) and fries ($1.75) compliment the sandwiches. Lee changes the frying oil once every three days to insure good quality. Made with three scoops of ice cream, the thick milkshakes is also a neighborhood favorite.

Arriving in to the United States in 2000, the Lee family purchased an American diner in San Bruno . With minimal English, she received help from her customers pronouncing menu items. Till this day, she often gets “well done” confused with “medium well.” In order to prevent this, she writes on the receipt and show it to the customer as confirmation.

Since San Francisco now forbids Styrofoam containers, Lee has had to absorb the higher cost of plastic container but have kept the same prices. Despite working long hours, Lee admits that her energetic personality has made her a great fit for this industry.

She advises aspiring restaurateurs that the industry involves daily conflict resolutions including employee theft from the cash register to customers complaining about the food. One solid advice that Jenny has is to stay away from husband and wife team which contributes to many arguments.

Another important factor is to know your customer base. Slider’s customer base is eighty percent male and mostly young professionals. Her seven eleven special ($7.11) which includes a burger, fries, and a drink has been a menu favorite.

With the advent of social media playing a major role in the community, Jenny Lee checks customer comments on restaurant review site like Yelp.com every two days so that she can respond to the customers. After reading that customers saw roaches crawling on the walls, Lee immediately contacted the terminator.

Lee also responded to the community by replacing stools with vibrant red design chairs. After reading that one of his employees served incorrect menu items, Lee fired the staff member. She considers restaurant reviews as a helpful tool for her to engage the community.

2 Must Do’s To Succeed in the Burger Business

Differentiate. With some many burger joints around, differentiating will help you be memorable and remarkable. Slider’s all -you –can- eat condiment does just this. Additionally, some customers are picky when it comes to ingredients. The do – it – yourself condiment bar allows the consumer to control flavor.

Open late. At least, consider the increase in revenue by targeting the club/bar goers or night owls.