After nearly ten years of business in downtown Clemson, BGR The Burger Joint has closed in recent weeks due to a loss in revenue during the COVID-19 pandemic. The location at 378 College Avenue in Clemson was one of Amergent Hospitality Group’s 17 franchise restaurants.

The Tiger reached out to Amergent for more information about the closure.

“It was definitely COVID related. With less students in the area, and nobody dining in, it wasn’t sustainable,” said Jason Assad, a media contact for Amergent.

BGR has won “best burger” in The Tiger’s Best of Clemson issue for all three years of its publication. One of the local favorites was the specialty Clemson burger, featuring house-made pimento cheese, bacon, raw red onions and mojo sauce.
According to a report published by Yelp in Sep. 2020, businesses in college towns have had a 24% higher permanent closure rate during the pandemic as compared to the closure rate of the respective state.