A group of aging metalheads from Vancouver is peering into the kitchen of Seattle’s Zippy’s Giant Burgers, murmuring amongst themselves about the guy who’s back there grinding up hamburger meat.
That guy is Blaine “Zippy” Cook and the reason the dudes from Vancouver are so interested isn’t just because Cook makes some of the best homemade burgers in the Pacific Northwest; they’re also hovering there because he fronted the legendary crossover metal band The Accüsed during the ‘80s and early ‘90s.
Now in it’s sixth year and second location, Zippy’s has become known for its quality signature burgers, and Cook’s identity is now wrapped up in being the owner of one of Seattle’s hottest burger joints, which is a bit strange for him because he’s always been known as the Tasmanian Devil-like screamer in a now-legendary punk/metal band.
“It’s weird, but a lot of it is kinda the same as being in the band,” says Cook after his shift overseeing his restaurant’s kitchen. “At Zippy’s, I get to interact with people and we have our ‘fans,’ because we have our loyal customer base. Selling burgers and bringing out the food is kind of like how it used to be selling t-shirts after a show. You get to schmooze a little bit; you get to be a bit of a smartass. I enjoy it.”
Zippy’s has been open just over six years now. Cook, now 52, decided to start the business after a popped Achilles tendon suffered at a show with his current punk/metal band, Toe Tag (featuring two other members of the classic The Accüsed lineup). The injury put him out of commission for a full summer.
“It felt like someone had kicked me as hard as they can in the back of the calf,” remembers Cook. “I was pretty much out for that whole summer and it was pretty traumatic and I was fairly depressed. I needed to move on and try to do something else, try to do something for myself. As soon as I healed up, I started looking for businesses for sale.”
Cook’s vocal work with The Accüsed is the stuff of legend. Formed in 1981 in Seattle, the group coined the genre of “Splattercore” and powered through several unforgettable albums and EPs, including a brief run with Nastymix Records, a short-lived Seattle label with major backing that took a chance on the metal/punk band, despite predominantly featuring rap bands.
The Accüsed broke up in 1992, but then reformed in 2003 before Cook quickly exited the band again. While The Accüsed continues on with one original member, Cook sporadically performs the band’s classic songs with his Toe Tag band mates under the name Martha’s Revenge.
But while playing in punk and metal bands was a huge part of his past, and although he still jams twice a week and plays shows with Toe Tag, his focus now is on the success of Zippy’s. The transition hasn’t been easy.
“It’s been totally hard because running this restaurant is a seven-day-a-week deal,” says Cook. “It puts a real strain on your family life and your social life. Toe Tag still practices two times a week and we still play shows, but there are times where I’m not getting off work until 9 or 10 pm and then we practice in my basement. I’d show up and the guys would be there already and they’d quickly run through the set again with me if we had to do a show.”
His search to buy a business ended up leading him to a little teriyaki restaurant no more than a mile away from his Seattle home. The previous owner was looking to get out and the price was right, says Cook, but instead of continuing with the current food theme, the man gave Cook and his wife some crucial advice.
“The guy had been doing teriyaki for years and was really burned out on it,” says Cook. “He told us if we were to do sandwiches or burgers, the place would be a real hit. So we bought the business and turned it into a burger place.”
Although he’d never run a business before, Cook had a lot of experience working in restaurants and knew all about important factors like good service and keeping food costs low. In fact, it was his speedy work in a number of Seattle kitchens while he was playing in punk and metal bands like The Fartz and The Accüsed that earned him the nickname “Zippy.”
Once they got the place cleaned up (“It was really, really dirty,” he says), Cook and his wife began re-branding the business as a burger joint and trying out different recipes to add to the new menu.
Inspired by the vibe of old-time burger shacks of the past, as well as a place in Oakland called Nation’s Giant Hamburgers, Cook decided to go with a similar theme for Zippy’s Giant Burgers. All of the food is made-to-order with counter service and sizeable burgers that could choke a horse (see info on Zippy’s own challenge burger, the King Lou Lou, below).
Expanding from the tiny, 12-stool space they bought six years ago into a bustling West Seattle spot that has over 75 seats, Cook says the secret to running a good burger joint is the same as running any successful business.
“You have to be there and be passionate about what you’re doing, and you have to go into it with the right intentions,” he says. “Our first place was just this teeny storefront. Six years ago when we started the restaurant it was never in my mind that this thing was going to get bigger; it’s just something I never thought would happen.”
As far as advice for anyone else looking to start up a burger place, Cook says to always taste everything before it goes on the menu and keep the food choices and the menu simple.
“It’s like that saying, ‘Keep it simple, shithead.’ It’s really true. Start out small and let your business be an organic thing, then build on it,” he says, pausing before adding what he says is the very most important part.
“Oh, and grind your own meat! Don’t buy and pre-ground beef, don’t buy any already-made patties. That’s the number one thing,” he says. “If you’re really serious about what you’re doing and you want to put out something that tastes really good, you’ve got to take the time to grind your own meat. And it’s really not that big of a deal to do it.”
And while he does notice the odd group of metalheads and punks gazing into the kitchen to see if the legendary crossover screamer is back there growling and raving like a caged lunatic (hint: he’s not, unless it’s a really, really bad day), and he always comes out to say hey and hang out a bit, surprisingly he doesn’t get too many of his old fans applying for jobs at Zippy’s.
“You know, I wish they did!” he says. “One of the hardest parts about running the restaurant is keeping good staff in the kitchen. I think some people are scared to work in a mom and pop restaurant. I’m always surprised whenever I go to a chain restaurant and I wonder why all of these people are working there. I tell them to come apply at my place. I pay the same amount and I’ve got a great working environment.”
Zippy’s challenge burger: The King Lou Lou
Tell me about the King Lou Lou.
Cook: Well, we didn’t want to have a challenge burger or a novelty burger, but people kept coming in and asking for one. So, under the influence of some marijuana and beers, one night we came up with our challenge burger and we called it The King Lou Lou. It’s named after one of our employees who’s the biggest guy on the staff and likes to eat a lot.
What’s in it?
It’s like two burgers in one. It’s four patties, eight pieces of bacon, grilled onions, eight pieces of cheese, this chipotle mayo that we do, lettuce and tomato, and that’s one burger on the bottom, and we top that with a crown of another burger. So we make a smaller burger that we call a Little Zip, and that’s the crown that goes on the top. If you want to do the challenge, you have to eat the whole burger, a side of fries, a side of onion rings, a side of tater tots, a milkshake and a bottle of soda.
What do you get if you do it?
We’ll take your picture and you’ll get bragging rights. That’s about it.
Zippy’s Giant Burgers is located at 9614 14th Ave SW in Seattle, WA.
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