If you read the FFC feature story - Burgers, Bikers and Pitbulls, Oh My! - you know that Cisco Burger is not your typical fast food burger place. I want to add this awesome picture they sent me, as well as their unusual company logo, to the photo section.

I love animals. Dogs, Cats, Birds, Giraffes. But I don’t want to eat them. So when I saw the logo for Cisco Burger, I was both confused and concerned. Suddenly I felt like a frightened child looking for answers. “Daddy, why is there a dog on the sign? Are they eating the dogs?” I soon found out everything was fine, and the world had not gone crazy. They were not eating the dogs. Furthermore, contrary to the first-thoughts of 3 out of 4 people I showed the logo to — they are not a dog-food company either.

So, with that mildly traumatic (yet funny) experience behind me, I was inspired to create the first FFC Feature Story, devoted to finding out more about this fascinating company, the people behind it, and of course, that dog in the logo.

Cisco Burger is a fast-casual restaurant located in Long Beach, California, and was founded by Jesse James, star of Discovery Channel’s Monster Garage television series. This guy definitely knows his bikes, and has his own custom shop where he’s built $100,000 motorcycles for people like Shaquille O’neal. The dog on the sign and logo is his real-life pal “Cisco”, now 14 years old. It’s obvious he truly loves his dog, which tells me a lot about the type of human being he is. I like him already.

The restaurant opened in 2006 and features a menu of burgers, fries, sandwiches, breakfast and soft-serve ice cream. What makes the food different, is that it’s natural, organic and hormone-free. The burgers are made from 100% Kobe Beef, with no preservatives. They also offer a Veggie Burger for those who don’t eat meat.

In addition to making healthier fast food, the company has an eye on the environment, using solar panels to power the building, biodegradable paper products to package the food, and a Toyota Prius Hybrid automobile for deliveries. From the food they serve, and their earth-friendly business model, to the “Tattoos and Piercings are welcomed” message on their job listings, it’s obvious this a forward-thinking company with a conscience, and perhaps more ‘coolness’ in one-single location than most companies have in their entire chain of stores. I think Cisco Burger is setting some important examples that others in the industry could learn from.

Jesse used his canine friend on the company logo and sign knowing full-well it would create a stir among some folks. He knows what he’s doing. That’s just his style. He’s different. He’s not the typical fast-food owner, that’s for sure. But maybe he should be. We’d all be better off if we had more people like Jesse around, willing to toss aside the old established ways and re-think what fast food should be.

Oh yeah, and I should probably mention that his lovely wife is Hollywood superstar actress Sandra Bullock. Wow, talk about a lucky-dog. (sorry, I had to say it)

If you are located in, visiting or vacationing near Long Beach, California, I recommend you stop by and check out Cisco Burger for yourself. The next time I’m in that part of the country, I will definitely pay them a visit and publish a follow-up to this story, with the focus more on the food. I look forward to meeting Jesse and Cisco, as well as Lori (from Cisco Burger and West Side Choppers) who helped me with this story. She promised I could have my burger “on” her. I’m not sure exactly what she meant by that, but I look forward to finding out, and no matter what — I figure it’s a good thing.

*Logo, sign and photos: copyrighted property of Cisco Burger, used with permission.