Burger 21®, a new fast casual concept founded by the owners of The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., announced today that it plans to target several key territories in South Florida, including Boca Raton, Fort Lauderdale and Aventura, for expansion. Earlier this year, the “beyond the better burger” concept signed four franchise deals for a total of six franchised units in Orlando, Atlanta and Voorhees, N.J. As the concept targets South Florida for further expansion, Burger 21 envisions South Florida potentially supporting approximately 20 or more locations.
“We are excited to bring our extensive menu of quality, premium ingredients and innovative recipes to feed South Florida’s demand for a ‘better burger’ experience,” said Mark Johnston, Burger 21 president and chief concept officer and president of Front Burner Brands, management company for Burger 21. “While there may be other burger concepts in the area, Burger 21 will truly impress South Florida residents with our 21 chef-inspired burger creations that deliver a gourmet experience without the gourmet price.”
To further fuel its expansion into South Florida, Burger 21 is actively seeking qualified franchisees and will host a live webinar on Sept. 27 at 2 p.m. (EDT). To register for the webinar or learn more about franchising opportunities with Burger 21, please visit www.burger21franchise.com/events.aspx or contact Ashley Pollard, franchise sales associate for Burger 21, at 813-425-6252 or apollard@burger21.com. In addition, local entrepreneurs are invited to visit the Burger 21 booth (#307) at The National Franchise & Business Opportunities Show on Sept. 22 from 10 a.m. – 4 p.m. and Sept. 23 from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. at the Broward County Convention Center in Fort Lauderdale.
Last year, Burger 21 launched an aggressive growth initiative to bring its crafted burger creations and hand-dipped signature shakes to more cities across the country. Since February 2012, the burger franchise has signed four agreements to develop a total of six franchised units in Atlanta, Orlando, and Voorhees, N.J. for a total of 10 franchised and company-owned restaurants.
Burger 21 is seeking single and multi-unit operators with restaurant experience in South Florida and throughout the country. Franchisee candidates should have a minimum net worth of $500,000 and liquid assets of at least $200,000 per unit. Burger 21 will be developed through both single-unit agreements and Area Development Agreements. Depending on the real estate site selected, franchisees can expect the total cost of investment for one restaurant to be approximately $525,495 – $750,995. The initial franchise fee is $40,000; however, a 10 percent discount is applied to all franchises sold by Dec. 21, 2012. Reduced franchise fees apply for Area Development Agreements of four or more units.
To learn more about ownership opportunities with Burger 21, contact Dan Stone, vice president of franchise development for Front Burner Brands, at 813-425-6208 and dstone@burger21.com or visit http://www.burger21franchise.com.
About Burger 21
With four locations in Tampa Bay, Fla., and six in development in Orlando, Atlanta and Voorhees, N.J., Burger 21 is a “beyond the better burger” fast-casual franchise concept founded in 2010. Burger 21 is a chef-inspired brand with offerings including 21 unique burger creations ranging from hand-crafted, freshly ground beef to chicken, turkey, shrimp and tuna burgers, made-to-order salads, Hebrew National all-beef hot dogs, hand-breaded chicken tenders and an extensive shake bar including hand-dipped shakes, floats and sundaes. Burger 21 is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit http://www.burger21.com.
About Front Burner Brands
Front Burner Brands (formerly known as TGS Restaurant Management) is a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. It is affiliated with the corporate owners of and its management services extended to The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., founded in 1975 with more than 140 locations in North America and more than 15 locations currently in development, Burger 21 with four locations open in Tampa Bay and six in development in Orlando, Atlanta and Voorhees, N.J., GrillSmith with six locations in the Tampa Bay area and other new franchise concepts in development. For more information, visit http://www.frontburnerbrands.com.
