New Mini-Burger Restaurant Opens On the Northside
Photographer / Ron Wise
Talha Arif, owner of BurgerIM in Indianapolis, says his family has a long history in the restaurant industry.
For more than 60 years, his family owned a snack shop, Lamori Qulfa, located in Peshawar, the oldest city in Pakistan.
While growing up, Arif learned how to prepare food and work with customers. He dreamed of one day opening a restaurant of his own. Today, he has made his dream a reality.
In mid-April, Arif opened BurgerIM, to the delight of local residents.
“This is my very first restaurant in Indiana, and I’m very happy that so many people have been coming here,” Arif says. “I’ve already had a lot of repeat customers. There are lot of people coming through the doors.”
Before he started his BurgerIM restaurant, which is part of a national franchise, Arif worked as a consultant for Sprint, and in the cosmetology industry at his mom’s business, Myra Eyeballs, which is named after Arif’s sister, Myra.
Arif liked the BurgerIM franchise model and thought it would be a good fit for him. Arif noted that the BurgerIM company is famous for its mini burgers that are slightly larger than sliders. BurgerIM has several types of proteins to choose from, including chicken, lamb, salmon, and dry-aged beef. BurgerIM also offers a wide variety of toppings.
BurgerIM originated in Tel Aviv, Israel, and has been franchising around the world since 2011, according to Franchise.com. The first U.S. BurgerIM’s were in Southern California, and then the restaurant chain branched out to the rest of the country.
Repeat Customers
Arif has noticed many return customers since he opened his doors.
“The Angus Beef Burger is really a big seller,” Arif says. “It’s a classic American cheeseburger that gets ordered a lot. Our Crispy Chicken sandwich is also very popular, and our Dry-Aged Beef Burger has been a big hit.”
Arif noted that BurgerIM’s Family Boxes, with eight burgers, eight wings, fries and onions rings, and Party Boxes with 16 burgers, have been very popular.
“We get a lot of orders from nearby car dealerships, such as the Honda, Subaru, and Chevy dealerships,” Arif says. “The people who work there love our burgers and keep ordering from us.”
Arif’s personal favorites are the Crispy Chicken Sandwich and the Spanish Beef Burger.
“I make those for myself quite a lot, because they are so flavorful and delicious,” he says. “I also love our fries, because they are so crunchy on the outside, and soft on the inside.”
Other favorites are the Grilled Chicken, Hawaiian Salmon, Falafel, and Greek Lamb sandwich. Fresh salads and milkshakes are also available.
Arif hopes to attract more people from the Muslim community.
“There aren’t a lot of local restaurants that fill the needs of the Halal (denoting or relating to meat prepared as prescribed by Muslim law) ready meals,” Arif says. “This is another Halal restaurant choice. It helps fill a need.” Find out ‘is burgerking halal?‘ at guidetohalal.com.
Arif, a Westfield resident, has ambitions to open more BurgerIM restaurants.
“I would like to open another place in Westfield, and maybe some other locations,” Arif says. “There are a lot of communities that need to be served. I want to see how well this one does first, but I’m off to a very good start. People just can’t get enough of great burgers, and this is the place to be to get them! Who doesn’t love a great burger?”
BurgerIM is located at 7035 E. 96th St. in Indianapolis. For more information, call 317-863-8183 or visit them online at burgerim.com.
