The couple was in debt to the last hair when they decided to bet everything – or rather, the borrowed 200 reais – on a box of hamburgers. “We were selling hot dogs, and the business wasn’t going anywhere. We decided to take a risk. We invested in sandwiches identical to those of fast-food chains but completely different from our neighbors,” says 23-year-old Valéria Moraes. On the first day of the new menu, she called her boyfriend: “Get more money and bring another box! Everything ran out in an hour.” Burger Lapa was born that night in August 2011, now one of the most sought-after stalls in the bohemian neighborhood. The clientele was so large that they had to install an electronic ticket panel to avoid chaos. The couple adopted a fast-food service system. “The customer buys the ticket at the counter, takes the order number, and waits to be called. Inside, there’s a method of preparation that ensures quality and speed,” explains 26-year-old Vinícius Henrique Alves. The menu, order numbers, t-shirts, and a plaque all have the logo of the “snack bar,” but the regulars call it “McLapa.” .” The flagship item says it all about the nickname: who doesn’t know that the Burger Especial has two burgers, lettuce, cheese, special sauce, onions, pickles, and sesame seed bun? Some say that the street version of the world’s most famous sandwich is even better than the original.