February 09, 2015
In true PYT headline-grabbing fashion, the Piazza-located restaurant -- nationally famous for its more outlandish burger offerings -- brought the spotlight to its up-and-coming New York City location by unleashing a $144 burger-a-day deal on Groupon.
Assuming someone actually used the all-access pass to eat a burger a day for a year, the total cost comes out to about 40 cents per meal, or $4,380 in the span of a year. ("The math is so easy a Kardashian could do it," the restaurant wrote on the listing for its since-sold-out Taylor Swift-branded passes.) But it's a safe bet that no one's questioning the bargain value; the real kicker is the health implications.
"This is like a Groupon version of 'Supersize Me,'" Josie Raum, a registered dietitian with Cooper University Healthcare, in Voorhees, Camden County, told PhillyVoice.com. "I feel like that's exactly what would happen if you did this: You'd definitely see a rise in cholesterol and blood pressure, and overall, your skin would probably start to look pretty bad. ... I don't know that anyone should do this; it breaks my heart."
But, she said, if you had to go with a healthy(-ish) option, go for the non-beef burgers: the Turkey Club Burger (but without all of the fried toppings, she said), any of the chicken options sans the cheese-and-bacon combos or the Calibunga Veggie, which, according to the restaurant, can be grilled rather than fried upon request. (The veggie burger, because of its white beans, are the best option of the three, she said.) Moreover, she advised that customers not eat fries with every meal -- save them for once or twice a week, especially since they can't be swapped out for sweet potato fries or a salad.
A burger a week, she said, is a more realistic indulgence for the deal, which has been purchased more than 200 times and runs for two more days, as of this writing.
"You could do a burger once a week, but you have to make sure you're eating healthy for the rest of the week. Just because you eat the burgers and fries once a week, we naturally assume you're not eating crap for the rest of the week," she said. "Make the rest of the week pretty healthy to make room for that."
Or, she said, "maybe just don't buy this Groupon."
PhillyVoice.com has reached out to owner Tommy Up for comment, but he has yet to respond.
