How Many Sliders Can You Eat?

Ever fantasized about competitively eating cheeseburger sliders – as many as you can chew and open your mouth each time to prove you swallowed- within the constraints of 10 minutes?

BGR: The Burger Joint, just 8 months on the Carrollwood landscape, is about to make your gastronomic dream come true.

Starting noon on Sept. 18, also known as National Cheeseburger Day, BGR, 12913 N. Dale Mabry Highway will host its first ever slider-eating competition.  The restaurant is seeking 10 contestants of all ages, shapes, sizes and experiences.

“The winner gets $500 and a trip to Washington, D.C., for the finals,” said manager Ken Bakunas. “It will be a lot of fun. We’ll have everyone outside and a radio station here.”

There’s also a $250 second place and $150 third place gift cards prize.

Bakunas predicted the winner will eat 30 burgers – or three sliders every 60 seconds.

BGR Founder Mark Bucher agreed. “We're thinking the winner will consume between 25-30 sliders in the 10-minute time slot.”

Five finalists competing in Washington, D.C., will have the opportunity to walk away with $1,000 cash and a $1,000 BGR gift card for first place, a $500 BGR gift card for second and a $250 gift card for third.

For those who come to watch and provide moral support, free slider samples and food specials will be available.

“So far we have a female bodybuilder interested in participating,” said Bakunas.  “You really just need to love burgers.”

Bucher explained what separated BGR from other burger restaurants. “Our sense of humor! But really, it’s our product that separates us from the pack. Our prime dry-aged char-grilled beef, and really our overall chef-driven gourmet product, is what brings customers into our restaurant instead of our competitors."

If you think you have what it takes to be the inaugural BGR champion, email contests@bgrtampa.com  with your name, age, address and why you could be a BGR slider-eating contestant. 

Volunteers can also submit their contact information to be judges of the event. No experience is necessary. Check out their Facebook page for information.