Hilary Brown

Do you have plans to expand Local Burger?

We'll definitely open a Local Burger in Kansas City when the time is right. What we're working on is making sure that we have all the systems in place that we need so that we can stay true to the mission that we have, which is sourcing local foods. Each Local Burger would have to be slightly different. It's the produce that would change quite a bit from restaurant to restaurant, but each would be about celebrating what foods are around and available.

Is it better to eat local or organic?

I'd put local first, and then organic. For the most part, local farms and ranches are going to be fairly small time, they're not going to have 100 acres that they're covering with pesticides or hundreds of poorly fed and treated animals.

If someone is going to start small and incorporate just one or two local items into their diet, what should they start with?

The most important is meat. Local meats are typically raised on smaller farms and in a humane way. And if they're raised on a small farm, preferably grass fed, that meat supports a much more humane life for that animal, and is going to be so much better for you. I just think it's well worth the extra effort to find your meat locally. If you have a farmer's market, go in and see if there's anyone selling meat and find out if their meat is raised nearby. If not, I would do a search for a local food council or extension center and see if they have a list of local farms.

What questions should you ask about how the meat you buy is being raised?

I would find out if the animals were given any hormones or antibiotics. You should also find out if the animals are grass fed from beginning to end or if they're finished with grain or corn. I think you'll find that a lot of folks use grain and corn at the end, but the latest research I’ve read is if they eat less than 7 pounds of grain a day at the end, it's okay. The animals digestive systems will still be healthy. At Local Burger, we don't use any meat that's been grain fed, but if it's not excessive, you should be okay.

What makes a Local Burger better than a regular fast food burger?

The food at Local Burger is healthier and tastes better because it's real food. We don't use additives or chemicals. And the animals we source are eating a diet that is natural for them. When that happens, they ingest more nutrients, which end up in our food. Studies show grass-fed beef contains more Omega 3s and other beneficial fatty acids. And when food has more nutrients, it's going to taste better.

Why start a local, green fast food restaurant as opposed to one that's more upscale?

I wanted to do fast food because I thought it would be less pretentious. I played around with doing something fancier, but I thought there would be so many people who wouldn't be exposed to the food because it would be out of their price range. Fast food was the only way to really spread the message across many markets. I really wanted to get the blue-collar worker coming in for an elk burger. I also wanted to address the growing need for places to eat that are attuned to children's food allergies.

Tell me about the "Localize Me" program.

We took Daniel Fisher—a 29-year-old guy who was around 100 pounds overweight and had a family history of insulin-dependent diabetes—who was basically addicted to fast food and put him on a diet of Local Burger food for 30 days. I made sure he ate plenty of good quality protein to steady his blood sugar level, and every morning he drank a smoothie that contained a tablespoon of extra virgin coconut oil. Daniel lost 23 pounds and his cholesterol went from 285 down to 166. His doctor was even amazed at the change he made in 30 days.

What's the deal with elk? Why did you decide to add an elk burger to your menu?

Americans are so used to hearing only about beef, pork, and chicken. There are more alternative meats being raised in Kansas because the state is ideal for livestock due to the native grasses. Elk is just another red meat. Ours is farm raised right outside of Lawrence. Elk is super nutritious and it makes you feel great. In fact, when we first opened, a lot of my employees or their spouses ended up pregnant because the men started eating elk all the time! That's why we call it the "Man’s Burger." I fed Daniel a great deal of elk when he was doing the 30 days here and his testosterone doubled.

When was your eco-awakening?

I was like any other kid: I grew up eating Steakums and processed food and tater tots. When I was 18, I read a book by John Robbins—like I think a lot of people did in that time period—called Diet for a New America. Before reading that, it had never really crossed my mind where the food that was on the table came from or how it was brought to the table or anything like that.

What's your eco-sin?

Mine is Lottie—she's my '88 Land Cruiser. I swear I don't want to know, but it probably gets about 5 miles to a gallon. We only use it for deliveries or to pick up produce we need at the last minute, but Lottie has a dream that she will one day be outfitted with a diesel engine. Then we can run her on the oil from the restaurant.