TASTE
Brand of Brothers
Jonathan and Matthew Burgess are rebuilding a family legacy — and helping other food entrepreneurs start their own
BY Jennifer Fergesen
Jonathan and Matthew Burgess ’ products include the ChurWaffle iron and ChurWaffle mix , which was inspired by their grandmother ’ s cornbread .
PHOTO COURTESY OF JONATHAN AND MATTHEW BURGESS
What is a ChurWaffle , the signature product of twin brothers , food entrepreneurs and public servants Jonathan and Matthew Burgess ( a firefighter and a law enforcement officer , respectively )? One might expect it to be something between a churro and a waffle — and the original , baked in the Burgesses ’ trademarked Chur- Waffle iron and tossed in cinnamon sugar , bears a resemblance to both . But the ChurWaffle in practice is something broader and more ambitious .
The ChurWaffle mix , inspired by the brothers ’ grandmother ’ s cornbread , has made its way from Sacramento into fritters and black bean corn cakes in the dining halls of Harvard University . The Chur- Waffle iron is sold on Amazon and has a following among keto dieters , who use it to make “ chaffles ,” low-carb waffles composed of little more than cheese and eggs .
There ’ s a ChurWaffle stand at Levi ’ s Stadium in Santa Clara , where ( prepandemic ) football fans lined up for miniature waffles loaded with toppings like fried chicken or strawberry sauce ( or both , if they dared ). ChurWaffle can also be a verb , as in , “ Just tell me you ’ re both ready to be ChurWaffled ” — an offer Matthew gave country singer Kellie Pickler and her co-host Ben Aaron during a 2017 appearance on the talk show “ Pickler & Ben .”
“ There ’ s value in the name ,” Matthew explains . He and Jonathan also hold the trademark for Burgess Brothers BBQ & Burgers , under which they sell barbecue sauce , smoked sausages , premade meals and bulk products for food-service operations , run a catering company ,
24 comstocksmag . com | December 2020