The Window at American Beauty’s $4 Burger Tells a Gentrification Story | Eater LA

"On Rose Avenue in Venice, a $3.95 cheeseburger at the Window at American Beauty feels almost too good to be true: a single patty of certified Angus beef pressed on the griddle with onions, house sauce, pickles, and American cheese, served on a Martin’s potato roll. Priced below comparable chain burgers (a McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with cheese is $3.79; a Big Mac $3.99; an In‑N‑Out double‑double $4.35; a Shake Shack double is north of $8), the burger works as both a marketing win and an intentionally “egalitarian” offering for the neighborhood, according to CEO Jeff Goodman and co-owner Bruce Horwitz. Goodman insists they aren’t losing money, notes the operation’s low overhead and high volume, and estimates the Window turns out roughly 500–700 sandwiches a day—about two a minute—during its daily 11 a.m.–4:30 p.m. service. The owners acknowledge the space’s fraught local history and argue the cheap burger is meant to provide real affordability rather than simply soften optics; they’re also planning a second Window on the Boardwalk at 1827 Ocean Front with the same $3.95 price and extended hours to 7 p.m." - Farley Elliott