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Manchester Evening News
Manchester Evening News
National
Alice Suffield & Thomas George

The secret behind how Blackpool's famous £1 burger stall manages to keep its prices so low

There aren't many places you can feed a family of four and leave with change from a fiver.

As prices continuing to soar, many families find themselves searching for the most cost effective way to fill their bellies. If you're off to Blackpool any time soon then you might just be in luck.

Tucked away from the promenade on Dale Street is Higgit's Las Vegas Arcade, which promises customers a burger for just £1. It's hard to miss, with signs directing hungry tourists and locals alike away from the prom and to the arcade which is gearing up for the new summer season.

READ MORE: 'Are we going to be pushed out?': The inner city area 'taken over by the rich'

Even on a miserable Wednesday in March, Chris Higgit, who owns Higgit's Las Vegas Arcade, is stood chatting to customers. Despite being one of the first Blackpool businesses to re-open as the resorts' 'season' starts, Chris says he's already seen a fair few customers.

Higgit's Las Vegas Arcade, has made quite a name for itself in recent years, Lancs Live reports. As Chris cooked my burger, he tells me that the most recent YouTube video he was featured in was on track to hit one million views by the end of the week. The arcade has also made its way on to a number of TV stations including Channel 5, UK Gold, and many more.

He says is customers find him on Facebook, Instagram, and now TikTok. "Because I have such a big presence on social media, people physically come to find me. It also helps that the rent here on Dale Street is one tenth of what it is on the prom, but being two streets back doesn't matter, because people come to find me."

Chris previously told LancsLive about what makes his £1 burger so irresistible. He said: "The secret is I burn spices into the plate. The plate is black and at the start of every shift I grind spices on to the plate and burn them on so it marinates and goes into the food.

"It's just normal burgers but I make sure that the plate is marinated so all those spices have to go straight into the burgers. That's the secret of the famous £1 burger!"

Chris Higgit, from Higgitt's Las Vegas Arcade (James Maloney/Lancs Live)

Before I knew it, my burger, complete with onions was served, and for £1, it tasted just as a burger from Blackpool should. The meat was expertly cooked and the onions browned to perfection. It was a burger that elsewhere, would have cost a lot more that £1.

In recent months, the rising cost of food has hit the headlines, as well as pressure on both families and business who are facing rising energy bills. When Lancs Live last visited Higgit's Las Vegas Arcade in 2021, his burgers only cost £1 - the exact same price it is today. But unlike other eateries, Chris has managed to beat inflation and keep his costs the same.

He said: "It's about volume, purely about volume. The two biggest costs in this establishment are me, because of the cost of my labour, and the electricity. The electricity costs the same if the grills are on and I cook one burger, or if I cook 500 burgers, so it's all about the number of burgers.

"If I buy in bulk I can also get discount from the warehouse, so I can go in and get volume discounts. So where other places will be doing four or five burgers a day, I'll be doing 100."

Chris says he doesn't see what he's doing as success, but purely creating a living for himself and doing something that he loves. Higgit's Las Vegas Arcade is currently opening 12pm-4pm every day.

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