Dope Burger Co.: crafting food infused with passion and flavour

As with most people, the question “What are we going to eat”, flits through Mishca-Leigh Tissong and Shivan Appolis’ minds several times a day. It’s this question that prompted the co-owners of Dope Burger Co. to try their hand at creating their own flavour-filled burger at home. 

Although delighted by the results of their experiment, the couple knew there was room for improvement. With a little bit of trial-and-error, the pair crafted a burger dripping with flavour, and Dope Burger Co. was born. “We wanted to create something that we absolutely enjoy, and share that with those around us,” says Shivan.

Read more: 10 side hustle ideas you can turn into a small business

We caught up with the couple to learn what makes their burgers dope, and how their desire to build genuine connections with customers shapes their business. 

Why did you choose the name Dope Burger Co.? 

We are massive Hip hop fans – we argue about whether Kanye West is a genius or not – and in hip-hop culture, the word Dope is used to express that something is desirable or excellent. To say, “that shirt is dope” or “that verse/song is dope” encapsulates a feeling we want to share with others. 

We chose the name Dope Burger Co. because we believe our burgers are desirable. 

What process did you follow to create the burgers you have on offer? 

We have something for everyone, whether they’re beef or chicken lovers. Our signature Smashed Beef, and juicy Chicken burgers are crafted with love and bursting with flavour. If you pair that with our Dope fries, your cravings will thank us!

It took a lot of trial and error, using our family as guinea pigs, recipe development and lots of love to get to the burgers we have on our menu today, and we are still evolving and learning as we go along. 

We are proud to add that we make our Pickles, Pickled Red Onions, and the top-secret Dope Sauce that we put onto our smashed beef burgers. We also grow our own butter lettuce in a little garden bed that Shivan built.

As a recently established business, what have you done to attract customers and ensure they become repeat customers? 

We treat our customers like our own family! Nothing beats connecting with your customers over something you are passionate about. We are always listening to feedback, whether good or bad, to improve our customers’ experience. We also offer our Dope Loyalty Card, where on your 10th burger purchase, you get a free Dope Double Burger!

Read more: 4 easy ways to have authentic interactions with your customers

You’re not just looking to create the next fast food joint – you want to establish a family business. Why is this important to you? 

It’s important for us not to become just another corporation that’s only out to make money. We want to build genuine relationships with our customers as much as possible. 

So while we do desire to grow and become a household name, one of our main core values is to build relationships that grow deep and wide. 

Dope Burger Co. is currently only open over the weekend. Why did you choose those days? 

We put out feelers and decided to start with weekends. It was a hit as most people don’t feel like cooking on a Friday when they come home from work. On Saturdays, it is so convenient to pick up your order and dash off to wherever you plan to be for the day, whether it’s with your family or date night.

We are planning to open during the week, too, so keep an eye on our social media for more information!

How have you incorporated SnapScan into your business? 

On our social media platforms, we let our customers know that they can pay for their orders using SnapScan. We printed out our SnapCode, so customers can scan and pay for their orders without fuss. We also saved the SnapCode to our phone to have it with us on the go.

We love that SnapScan is safe, contactless, and easy to use. It makes the whole process so much quicker for our customers and us. Talk about convenience; we love it!

Read more: 6 ways SnapScan can help your business collect payments

What advice do you wish you had before starting your business? 

• Just start! You will never feel 100% ready. Take a leap of faith and go for it.
• Don’t try to do everything yourself, and don’t be afraid to ask for help! Even when your business is on the right track.
• Research, learn and do more research. You can never learn enough; so many great educational resources are available.
• Lastly, stop comparing yourself to others in the same field as you. Don’t let doubt and comparison discourage you from providing your services. It may sound corny or cliche, but believe in your work and let your products and business speak for themselves!

Add some flavour to your weekend by supporting Mishca-Leigh Tissong and Shivan Appolis’ growing business. WhatsApp Dope Burger Co. on 083 793 3470 to order one of their tasty burgers, and follow them on Instagram to see what else they’re cooking up.