Hi, everyone! The Internet's Telegram Sam here. Recently an anonymous, eccentric CFMBer and Brgrbelly enthusiast approached me with a proposition. This kind soul prepaid and $83(!).00 line of credit, to be used to incentivize fellow CFMBer’s to make the trek out to our restaurant. What we came up with is something like this: $83(!).00 divided by 10 is $8.30. The cost of our basic burger, the Leadbelly, is $7.95 plus tax, so ostensibly this patron has bought a burger (or a beer and a half, or whatever, depending on how you look at it) for 10 board members. Anyone can claim it, there’s no expiration, when it’s gone it’s gone. The only stipulations, such as they are, are:

-You have to give me a heads up. If I don’t know you by sight, send me a PM the day you are coming. Some days I am in the back cooking, I don’t see who comes in.
-Don’t come on a Monday (we’re closed) or Tuesday (I’m off, Noah or Maya will look at you sideways and call the cops, per my instructions.)
-If you are Beardown, you may exhaust the entire endowment, and it will be reloaded as necessary (this is the anonymous benefactor’s particular peccadillo, not mine.)

I’ll likely post here when the fund is depleted. If you want to wait until after The Great Cleanse, that’s fine. If you want to preserve your anonymity, no free burger for you, because I’m not sure how to honor that.

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I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost

What's a good burger I can eat in my car, since I don't want to wait 45 minutes to drive home and eat it?

That's cool....

If we ride our bikes up there where might we be able to sit down and picnic?

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

A Leadbelly or an Easy Rider, I guess. They're all kind of gloriously messy.



Portage Park, a block and a half due east of us. Just stay off the monkey bars et. al. Same for Merrimac Park at Irving and Narragansett.

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I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost

While there is no way I’ll be able to avail myself to this opportunity in the near future I am planning to go buy when I deliver a steer in early to middle June. Thus is a nice gesture by someone.

CFMB wins again!!!!

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

Nice, Sam!

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I haven't been this proud of a company since I got an email from Dollar Rent A Car that they are here for me in this time of crisis if I need anything.

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You do not talk to me like that! I work too hard to deal with this stuff! I work too hard! I'm an important member of the CSFMB! I drive a Dodge Stratus!

They are. MANY are a knife and fork type burger.

This isn't exclusive to Sam's joint, but sometimes I feel weird ordering a burger "without this topping, or that sauce" or whatever. Sometimes I have to because I genuinely don't like mayo or siracha sauce. Other times its because all I want is a cheeseburger. I know these menus are carefully chosen and tested with items that are paired together, but sometimes just a beef patty, a couple pieces of bacon, and a bit of ketchup on the side is all I really want.

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I'll try to make it out this Saturday. I've been meaning to Drop In for awhile.

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what time? I want to make sure not to be there.

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Reality is your friend, not your enemy. -- Seacrest

Don't give him a free burger!!!!

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2018
#ExtendLafleur
10 More Wins

It doesn't matter...he can just order from the kids' menu.

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This is really cool Sam. I have been planning on heading down for a while now. As soon as this shite is over I'll be bringing the wife, and my sister and her family. They all live in Jefferson Park so really no excuse to not stop over.

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@audioidkid

Next time I go there, I am bringing a 2020 CFMB CHAMPYON! WOO! banner. I'll give it to the big dude with the sideburns.

Here's Rick working on my portrait for the Hall of Champions:

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I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost

Pretty good situation you got there...keeping the wife at a distance.

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Rick Hahn is the best GM in baseball.

TS I was told by a local establishment that they're essentially doing the same business despite closing 2 hours earlier. I hope things are going as well for you.

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Be well

GO BEARS!!!

We are not a late night place anyway, we close at 9 or 10. We've actually added an hour during the week, taking phone orders at 4:00. A lot of people are home and bored, and it mitigates the crush of people ordering at 5:00.
March we were 8% down in net sales against March 2019. I was fairly relieved at that. April 2020 we were up 80% net over April 2019. Again, relieved, and happy that I've been able to add a bunch of hours for my staff that are laid off from their full time gigs and relying on Brgrbelly as their main income source now (we just gave out raises before this hit,) but not doing cartwheels. Our main food cost item, beef, has gone up 50%. 3rd party delivery has gone from 25% to 50% of our business, which comes with a 25% commission haircut on average. Paper costs obviously since everything is carryout. We are spending more on Facebook marketing than usual to remind non-regulars we are an option. And we're losing a lot of beverage sales, which carry a good markup (it's not as though were are getting a break on our liquor license from the state or city. If I owned a bar I would be fighting to get this prorated.) Overall, I am cautiously optimistic, and the good fortune of being able to turn this place into a viable carryout operation quickly and pretty seamlessly is not lost on me, especially as I see people I know struggle and cope. Any optimism I have is tempered with the uncertainty of what comes after, when this lifts, the carryout business dries up, and everybody is looking at half full restaurants with constant reminders of this pandemic, the very thing you go out to escape. Why go out at all?

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I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost

Thats very good news all things considered, Sam. Your answer easily could have been, "We might be able to make it another few weeks, but if this drags out further we could be GONE." I'm sure there are MANY of your colleagues that are not faring quite as well.

I'm still trying to make my way there to grab a couple burgers. Definitely by the end of the month I'll get it done.

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this x 1000.

But I appreciate the effort to try new things on behalf of eateries.

I might be in. I want to visit my grandparents home, nearby the Hoops @ Hiawatha I and II gym....it's about 10 minutes from Brgbelly...

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Ба́бушка гада́ла, да на́двое сказа́ла—то ли до́ждик, то ли снег, то ли бу́дет, то ли нет.

Telegram Sam did not disappoint. Solid lunch and I'll certainly make a return trip in the near future.

Sam, do you make your own buns? They tasted like they were homemade. Super fresh.

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Hitting a highly acclaimed burger joint and asking about the owner's buns.

DB you do not disappoint!

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There are only two examples of infinity: The universe and human stupidity and I'm not sure about the universe.

You want me to read, Reader?

Pass...

Just giving a March Madness champ his props.

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Now see this is what I like to see.

Guys being dudes and supporting each other.

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"He is a loathsome, offensive brute
--yet I can't look away."

I didn't even tell the guy to kill himself. I guess I'm a changed man.

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Absolutely.



You didn't mention his mom, either.

TS, my wife's cousin came out and is always looking for places to go. He lives on the NW side so I pointed it out and he remembered going by your place.

He asked how I knew you, from high school? I said no. Although saying yes would have been easier.

He's going to check it out. He's a foodie.

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You know me like that.

I told Douchebag's companion today that I knew him from the computer.

And yes, the buns are scratch. Make them every day. Meat is ground in-house too. Thanks for hauling out here ,DB. (And yes, we did put "douchebag" on the order ticket.)

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I don't remember half the time if I'm hiding or I'm lost