Edmondo Sarti was in the middle of dinner in 2010 when a nagging question kept troubling him. The former fine dining chef wondered why it was difficult to find a quality fast food burger at a reasonable price in the Bay Area. The existing chains lacked the standards he expected, while the burgers at high-end restaurants were priced for special occasions only. Sarti’s frustration drove him to study the classic American staple for about a year, like a piece of art, until he finally decided it was time to make his own. 

That internal turmoil eventually led to what would become the San Francisco fast food chain Super Duper Burgers, which, for the past 15 years, has been a go-to lunch destination for gourmet burgers, crispy french fries and decadent milkshakes. The burger chain got its start in San Francisco’s Castro District before casting a wide net across Bay Area suburbs — with nearly 20 locations, and counting, in 12 cities — and selling more than 3 million burgers annually. 

“A burger is one of the most beautiful sandwiches you can ever have,” said Sarti, who co-founded Super Duper with business partner Adriano Paganini. “… There was a huge gap in quality. It was either McDonald’s or restaurant burgers back then at $15. We kind of dissected what was important. And that’s what we did.’”

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Super Duper Burgers co-founder Edmondo Sarti poses with a glass of wine for a photo at the chain’s restaurant at 2201 Chestnut St. in San Francisco, on Jan. 14, 2026.

Customers wait for and eat their meals in Super Duper Burgers at 2201 Chestnut St. in San Francisco on Jan. 14, 2026.

Super Duper takes an elevated approach to a classic burger by focusing on California suppliers. Beef patties are ground with a meat blend of brisket, ribs, sirloin and chuck from Brandt Beef in Southern California. Burger buns are made daily by New York Bakery in Richmond. The chain’s shakes and ice cream cones are made with organic soft serve from Straus Family Creamery in Marin County. And Super Duper makes a........

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