How Jackyard Burger House Keeps it Classic

Goa today knows no shortage of burgers joints. Grilled, griddled, pan-fried, smothered in special sauce or blanketed in cheese, served in diners for affordable prices, and made to look fancy to boggle one’s eyes. Burgers are everywhere in Goa for good reasons, and it’s not like you have to seek them out. The meat lovers In Goa can’t deny that the age ‘Quality’ burgers is finally upon us.

Take the brand new Jackyard Burger House located in Calangute for example. From a regular burgers to wings, from a regular beef chicken burger to an America charger with double cheese to a bloody boar with goan chorizo, they serve it all. Their burgers are smoked the right way to leave you craving for more. What started a s a casual conversation among friends is now one of Goa’s favourite Burger hangouts.

At Goan Insider we spoke to Datson Desouza, the founder of Jackyard Burger House. His concept of being unique and down to earth has helped him grow his brand at an exponential rate. The excerpts of our conversation are below.

Tell us a little about yourself

My name is Datson Desouza. I come from a marketing background. I danced professionally for 4 years. I was the first beatboxer from Goa. I am a travel junkie and a sunset chaser and I love making people happy.

What inspiration behind Jackyard Burger House? How did you come up with the name? 

It’s a pretty funny story. One day, my friends and I were chilling and having a BBQ night, grilling burgers in a friend’s backyard. One of my friend’s was like this jackyard (backyard) is amazing. I jokingly responded, “Guys if I own a burger house I’ll call it Jackyard Burger House”. Hence the name Jackyard. 

What were you doing before you started this business?

I had different plans before. I was working for a social media company and I quit the job before the lock down was imposed. I couldn’t work under someone and I always wanted to run my own restaurant or a pub. I had plans to go abroad and work for few years and then come back to start my own restaurant. But the lock down inspired me. I was broke and had nothing to do. Since we had a lot of BBQ nights and I grilled the burgers, I thought I’ll try my hand at selling them. I was sure that if we craved for burgers during the lock down,there would be others who did too. I tried posting it online and I got an overwhelming response. Right now all our customers enjoy the burgers from Jackyard Burger House.

Could you run us through the food items on your menu?

Currently we sell burgers and wings. From a regular beef chicken burger, to an America charger (double cheese) to a bloody boar (Goan chorizo). We also serve humongous fungus (creamy mushroom sauce), the triple C (chicken breast fried with secret herbs) and slowpoke (bacon jam).

How do you generate new ideas?

I don’t have any knowledge in hotel management. I’ve helped my mum cook sometimes and I loved experimenting with new dishes by watching YouTube or Pinterest. Along with my friends I also discuss new ideas everyday. We fuse new ideas together, think of things we would we like to eat, try it out, and if it turns out good, it’s out on our menu.

What is unique about  Jackyard Burger House?

We grill our patty which I think no one in Goa does. We serve a grilled patty Burger smoked the right way, and our prices are pretty reasonable. We start our burgers from ₹150, making it affordable for anyone to walk in and enjoy a real good homemade burger. I don’t want to make Jackyard a place where people plan to come only as big groups and just on weekends But I would love to see my customers come in everyday to try our burgers. I have different offers for each day. W have a Wednesday combo which gives you a burger with fries and wings for ₹450. We also have an offer called ‘Mark your 8th burger with us and get your 9th burger free’.

Which have been your most memorable experiences in business? 

The most memorable I’d say is when Figos called me to join as a business partner. It’s been 3 months since I started Jackyard, and the response we got has been amazing. People really enjoy every bite of our burger. I make sure that I take feedback from every customer. Till date i have got all positive response which makes everyday a memorable day in business.

Where is your business based out of? Why do you think that is the best place for you?

We are located in Calangute. It’s right amidst the market. It’s a prime area and hot spot for tourists.

As the founder, what are you paranoid about? What keeps you awake at night?

To be honest this is my first business venture. I get paranoid every night. But I wake up with a big smile every morning because I know I want to serve people the best burgers in town. The aim is to put a smile on every persons face. Every night, before hitting the bed, different things do keep running in my head. I keep thinking of different ideas and concepts. It’s just a start of Jackyard and we have a long way to go. One day I’m going to make Jackyards the best burger place in Goa.

How do you advertise your business?

I use social media such as Facebook and Instagram to my utmost advantage. In Goa word of mouth works the best. Thanks to my knowledge in marketing and social media, I always shared or reposted things I loved. If my friend or anyone started a new venture, I would happily share it from my account. Hence, when I started my own business, I was so happy to see the love and response people showed by sharing the news of my new venture.

What gets you excited about this venture? 

Do good and you’ll definitely get back goodness.

Datson Desouza

I live by this mantra. A lot of positive feedback is also what I strive for. Makes me happy when people seem to be satisfied with what I present them with.

Tell us about your team and how did you meet each other?

At present my team consists of 4 members, including myself. The first is Charlston who is my neighbor and my amigo. He has been there with me since day one of Jackyard. He helps me pack and deliver the burgers. The second is Johan who is also a friend. He has completed his hotel management course at the Indian Institute of Hotel Management Goa. He had always told me that if I start something, he will be there to support. And today he works with me at Jackyard and is the brains behind the kitchen. The next important member is Snedden. He is the guy who called the backyard, Jackyard, thus leading to our name. He is an amazing cook and the magician behind the chicken wings. Lastly we have Jeronimo who hooked me up with a BBQ griller and blower. I also have Myron who does my artwork and menu designs. I was really happy to see my mum and sister helping me too. I also have many friends who actually helped me out at the start of the business.

What piece of advice would you give to anybody who wants to become entrepreneurs?

Just don’t give up on your dreams ever. Go for it, take the risk and you will achieve. Also, always remember to do good and you will definitely receive it back. Help each other grow. Get rid of all the negativity. Instead of ‘I will’, replace it with ‘Yes I can’.

What’s coming up for you and the business down the road?

I started the business with take away and delivery. Two months down the from the inception, I received a call from Anant who runs Figos, a local Goan bar to run his kitchen. I felt this was the perfect place to take Jackyard to the next level and I immediately jumped at the offer. Now the dream is to grow the brand from here.

Do you have a story to share with the world? Send us an email at contact.goaninsider@gmail.com