Krystal, the 77-year-old burger concept based in Chattanooga, Tenn., celebrates National Burger Month with youthful vigor and surprising digital-media savvy.
Long known for the small, square burgers it has been selling in the Southeast since 1932, Krystal instead is putting its promotional push behind its third-pound Big Angus Burgers, for which it’s adding two new options: Bar-B-Q Bacon Cheese Big Angus (l.) and Chili Cheese Big Angus. Beginning May 11, Krystal also will offer $5 Krystal Burger Basket Meals, which bundle an Original Big Angus Burger and two Krystal burgers with fries and a beverage.
NationalHamburgerMonth.com
Krystal’s month-long burger party will be conducted with giveaways though a variety of digital media. A Web site–NationalHamburgerMonth.com–will be live as of May 1. More than $3,000 worth of Big Angus Burgers, Krystal gift cards and other goodies will be used as incentives for consumers to follow the chain on Twitter and befriend it on Facebook (the Official Krystal Lover Community page).
The chain has declared May 27 Official Krystal Burgers Day and it will webcast a live, streaming-video “Giveaway Show” all day from a Chattanooga Krystal restaurant. Marketing VP Brad Wahl will be onhand for the live show, and Krystal gift cards and merchandise will be given out to fans of the brand throughout the day.
Krystal–which has 387 restaurants in 11 states–says the new Big Angus Burgers will be followed by more food and beverage additions this year. The chain recently added MilkQuakes real-ice-cream shakes and Krystal Freeze fruit-slush drinks.
Can't keep track of all the new menu additions? Check the 
The May Burger of the Month at R.J. Grunts in Chicago is the Chihuahua Burger. That's a ground chuck and sirloin patty topped with Chihuahua cheese, jalapeño cabbage slaw, pickled red onion, cilantro, and Cholula garlic aïoli. To see the full list of May's best Burgers of the Month around the country, click
Social media is great for marketing a restaurant but it does require maintenance. I’ve seen too many restaurant Facebook Business Pages left unattended, leaving the customer with a bad impression.