| Kuma's Corner | |
|---|---|
 | |
 Kuma burger at Kuma's Corner | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 2005 |
| Food type | Hamburger restaurant |
| City | Chicago |
| State | Illinois |
| Country | United States |
| Website | kumascorner |
Kuma's Corner (Kuma's) is a burger restaurant with a heavy-metal theme based in Chicago, Illinois.
Kuma's Corner first opened in 2005 in Chicago's Avondale neighborhood. [1] Since then Kuma's has opened locations in Chicago's Fulton Market, as well as in Schaumburg and Indianapolis, [2] as well as a second Chicago location in Fulton Market. [3]
In 2024, Kuma Holdings, the parent company of Kuma's Corner, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, blaming the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic as a result of the decision. The company plans to keep operating its restaurants while restructuring. [4]
Kuma's serves specialty hamburgers. [1] [5] [6] [7] [8] Its burgers have been described as the best in Chicago, [9] [10] as well as the best in the United States. [11] [12] [13] [14] [15] In 2014, Kuma's Ghost Burger was named one of the most influential burgers of all time by TIME Magazine. [16] The ghost burger included a ghost pepper aioli, and was topped with an unconsecrated communion wafer. [17]
Kuma's Corner has been credited with inspiring other restaurants to incorporate creative ingredient combinations into their own offerings. [18] In particular, Kuma's Corner played a role in popularizing the pretzel bun, now a staple in many burger restaurants. [1] [5] [6] [7] [8]
In 2013, Kuma's Corner faced criticism from Chicago’s Catholic community over the so-called "Ghost Burger" which was named after the Swedish heavy-metal band Ghost and featured a communion wafer on top. [19] Despite Kuma's offers to donate portions of the proceeds, the Archdiocese of Chicago and other Catholic organizations expressed their offense and called for a boycott of the restaurant. [20] [21] [22] [23]
In 2020, the company faced accusations of racist and homophobic behavior by management. These issues were acknowledged publicly by the owner, Ron Cain. [24] The company responded publicly by announcing steps such as third-party training on subjects such as diversity and interpersonal relations, and introducing measures for staff and managers to communicate about their concerns. Chef and manager of the Indianapolis branch, Luke Tobias, announced shortly afterwards he was parting ways with the restaurant. [25] Shortly afterwards it announced a new director of operations. [26]
Ghost is a Swedish rock band known for its distinctive blend of theatricality, heavy metal, and arena rock. Formed in Linköping in 2006, the band first gained attention with their 2010 three-track demo, followed by the 7-inch vinyl "Elizabeth" and their debut album, Opus Eponymous. This album, nominated for a Grammis and featuring the song "Ritual"—listed by Kerrang! as one of "The 50 Most Evil Songs Ever"—catapulted them to international recognition.
The Dime Store was a short-lived restaurant in Portland, Oregon, in the United States. It was established by Dayna McErlean, with additional conceptual development from Jeremy Larter. The restaurant opened in 2014, replacing Leo's Non-Smoking Coffee Shop, a diner which had operated for thirty years. The Dime Store's menu included diner classics such as burgers and milkshakes, along with all-day breakfast and weekend brunch specials. Despite garnering a positive reception, the restaurant closed in November 2015.
Stanich's was a restaurant in Portland, Oregon's Cully neighborhood, established in 1949.
Aparon are Filipino wafers drizzled with caramelized sugar and optionally, sesame seeds. They are uniquely made from unconsecrated hostia. They were first manufactured by a religious order who baked communion wafers for the Catholic Church, but needed a way to make use of extra and discarded wafers.
Fuller's Coffee Shop is a diner serving standard American cuisine in Portland, Oregon's Pearl District, in the United States. Established in 1947, the restaurant has operated from its location in downtown Portland since 1960. It serves breakfast all day, and the menu features a cheeseburger with a recipe that has not changed since the diner's establishment. Described as a greasy spoon, Fuller's has received a generally positive reception, and appeared in an episode of the television series Grimm in 2017. Founded by Jack Fuller, the diner was later owned by his son John then by Urban Restaurant Group.
Skyline Restaurant is a diner in northwest Portland, Oregon, in the United States. Established in 1935, the restaurant initially sold fried chicken by a gas station. It gained popularity during the 1950s, and Skyline's menu of American cuisine has changed little since then. Michelle Nelson has owned the diner since 1999; previous owners have included Benny and Phyllis Lum, as well as Ken Hom, who eliminated drive-in service. Skyline's burgers and milkshakes have received a generally positive reception. In 1975, James Beard said the restaurant's burger was among the best in the country, and Food Network Magazine said Skyline had the best burger in Oregon in 2009.
Ate-Oh-Ate is a small chain of Hawaiian restaurants in the Portland metropolitan area, in the U.S. state of Oregon. The business has two locations in Portland and another in Beaverton. Named after the area code 808 in Hawaii, the restaurant's logo depicts a "happy, well-fed" pig. Ben Dyer, David Kreifels, and Jason Owens are co-chefs and co-owners.
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