All burgers are not created equal, according to Doug Barry. He is the franchise owner of BGR The Burger Joint, which opened Dec. 2 at 3960 W. Point Loma Blvd., Suite J, in the Midway Towne Center. And he’s counting on the difference to catapult his business to the top of the “fast-casual” restaurant slot, despite the fact that Daddy O’s, another high-end burger shop, closed its doors in the same spot late last year. “Our product speaks for itself,” Barry said. He won’t criticize his predecessor, but he emphasizes his “gourmet” burgers are prime beef from naturally raised, antibiotic-free, grain-fed cattle. The meat is blended fresh in Maryland and flown to the West Coast in vacuum packaging. Barry said the burgers are never frozen. Barry said there’s a big difference between “fast-casual” and fast-food-cheap-food eateries. Most obvious is price. BGR’s prices start at $6.99 for the no-frills seven-ounce burger. There’s also the fact that although customers order at a counter, all BGR burgers are cooked to order in eight to 12 minutes on an open-flame grill. Prices on the assortment of burgers climb to $79.99 for the 9-Pounder, which actually weighs in at 15.4 pounds with condiments and bun and feeds up to 15 people. “Why do we do it? Why not?” Barry said, adding that he had one group of eight that managed to consume half of it. If one diner can consume it, the burger is free. Other specialties include The Wellington, with black truffles, roasted mushrooms, caramelized onions and blue cheese; and the eight-ounce Southwestern, infused with chipotles, poblanos, onions and chili and topped with pepper jack cheese and mango salsa. Both these offerings are $8.99. The Cuban, topped with slow-roasted pork, ham, sweet pickles and Swiss cheese, is $9.99. A quartet of sliders is $7.99. In addition, there’s a burger of the month. February’s offering is a Chili Mac, piled high with chili, shredded cheddar and corn chips. Burgers come on brioche buns, baked daily specially for the restaurant by the La Jolla Bakery. Though about 70 percent of Barry’s sales are beef burgers — 30 to 40 pounds a day and increasing — BGR offers four alternatives for those who eschew red meat. There’s the seasonal lobster special, with six ounces of knuckle and claw meat with slaw sauce on three open-face slider rolls for $14.99; the ahi tuna burger, with “sushi-grade” fish topped with grilled pineapple and pickled ginger with mojo sauce for $10.99; the veggie burger, including brown rice, black beans, oats and molasses, $7.99; and the turkey burger, blended with Portobello mushrooms and a hint of Gorgonzola cheese for $8.99. Another favorite is the Greek burger, made with leg of lamb and seasoned with cumin, mint and garlic and topped with tzatziki and feta cheese for $11.99. Complementing the burgers are sides of double-fried French fries, $2.89; sweet-potato fries, $3.99; Vidalia onion rings, $4.49, and grilled asparagus sprinkled with parmesan cheese, $3.89. Shakes, including a flavor of the month, are $4.99. February’s offering is chocolate-covered strawberry. BGR’s lunch special, which runs Mondays through Fridays, is a burger with fries and soda at $8.99. Barry said he’s a bit surprised that, so far, he’s been doing more dinner business than lunch, which has been splitting about 60-40. For those who prefer to eat home, BGR offers free delivery within five miles for orders of more than $20. The restaurant is popular with families, Barry said, especially because he offers a kid’s menu for $4.99, including two sliders and grilled cheese sandwiches. His own two children, he said, “truly love our hamburgers.” The Midway District restaurant is decked out in rock ’n’ roll nostalgia, with music from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s played low enough to allow customers to talk. The franchise is one of about 20 stores across the county. The first opened in Bethesda, Md. in 2008, and “all are doing well,” said the restaurateur. Barry, who said he’s in “the last year of my 30s,” earned his bachelor’s in accounting from the University of San Diego. He also played with the San Diego Sockers for a year. “I was just an average player, so I had to get a real job,” he said. Among his jobs was a stint as comptroller for a local TV station. For a decade before opening BGR, he owned a Subway restaurant. He moved on to BGR, he said, because he wanted to do something different and the business offers “a lot of growth potential.” Barry said he is so certain of BGR’s success that he’s already planning to open one in Poway in March and another in Hillcrest in May. He also plans to open one in San Clemente in July. He likes the franchise idea, particularly because the learning curve is not as steep as a business started from scratch. But why more high-end burger joints when there seems to be a proliferation of newbies in San Diego? “Customers are demanding higher-quality burgers with more flavor and are willing to pay more than 99 cents,” Barry said. “The burger is part of our American culture.” And even for Southern Californians, who pride themselves on veggie- and grain-based dining, “a little meat is healthy once in awhile.” Though the restaurant business has the reputation of being very stressful, Barry said he doesn’t find it so. “I love this business a lot,” he said. “It’s all fun.” For more information, visit wwwbgrtheburgerjoint.com, or call (619) 222-7300.