The conversation
Building Bun B's Trill Burgers: Abbas Dhanani's Houston Empire
Burger Bodega founder Abbas Dhanani shares his journey from grinding meat in his home kitchen to creating a full-experience restaurant. He discusses the transition from food influencer to business owner, the importance of 100% halal sourcing, and how he infuses authentic "H-Town" culture into his brand.
6Degrees
Abbas Dhanani is the founder of Burger Bodega, one of the most popular burger joints in Houston. Abbas was born and raised in Houston, and growing up he was already familiar with the restaurant business, learning from his parents’ fast-food franchises that they owned with the Dhanani Group. The Dhanani Group, founded by Abbas’s grandfather started as a small business in 2009 and has now grown to become the third-largest restaurant franchisee in the country. The legacy that his family had created helped shape Abbas’s passion for food and the restaurant business. In our interview with Abbas, he said that one of the elements of how he got into burgers specifically was making them at home for his family.
Abbas Dhanani
I was making burgers at home. So I was cooking for family doing all of that. Burgers were my passion. I was experimenting with different cuts, grinding meat at home, all that.
6Degrees
With the combination of his family's experience in the restaurant industry and his fondness for burgers, Abbas was bound to create a burger joint. After graduating from the University of Houston, Abbas with passion for food and interest in business launched the Instagram account @houstoneatz in 2011 where he promoted chefs and restaurants in Houston. Today on his account he has over 100,000 followers on TikTok and over 40,000 on Instagram. His account is a go-to source to find Houston’s best food trucks, fine dining, and cultural cuisines. He always puts the spotlight on Houston’s pop-up scene. Ten years later, he created a pop-up for Burger Bodega, which received lots of love from the Houston community. Due to all the success he received he created his permanent restaurant in 2022 and created a permanent place for himself and his restaurant in the Houston area. In our interview with Abbas, he mentioned that what makes Burger Bodega so special in Houston is its unique branding and marketing.
Abbas Dhanani
I wanted to make sure that it (Burger Bodega) really illustrates who I am as a person and the vibe I’m trying to create and the experience I’m trying to create … if there’s a burger down the street that was just as good as mine, what makes me different? You know what? So I want Burger Bodega to be a full experience, on the inside.
6Degrees
Abbas prides the restaurant’s unique Houston atmosphere which can easily be felt when going into the restaurant. The interior is very unique to Houston with “H-town” and 713 branding all over the decor.
Abbas Dhanani
I'm a H-town boy through and through, and I'm a big fan of the food scene. So I wanted to serve the community, and I feel like we've done, you know, a fairly decent job.
6Degrees
Abbas said that one of the most important parts of making Burger Bodega’s unique burger is sourcing ingredients. In our interview, Abbas emphasized that sourcing isn’t just about finding the right ingredients but it’s a crucial part of managing the business.
Abbas Dhanani
Sourcing ingredients is important because that’s how you make your product.
6Degrees
For Abbas, it’s important to balance quality and price while also staying true to his Muslim values by making sure that all of his ingredients are 100% halal.