Burger 21 Moves Into Carrollwood, Tampa

Burger 21, a fast casual restaurant in Tampa, is expanding.

Six months after opening a 2,800-square-foot Westchase location at 9664 W. Linebaugh Ave., the burger and shake restaurant announced it will open a second location at 11777 N. Dale Mabry Highway in Tampa. The new 3,500-square-foot Carrollwood facility will seat approximately 98 customers.

"The success of Burger 21 has succeeded our initial projections so it just makes sense for us to move forward with growing," says Mark Johnston, CEO of Tampa's Front Burner Brands, parent company of Burger 21. "We're excited to jumpstart the growth of this brand."

Burger 21's unique menu currently offers 21 freshly ground, hormone-free beef, chicken, turkey and shrimp burgers ranging in price from $5.75 to $10.50. Made-to-order salads and Hebrew National hot dogs are also served at the restaurant, and an extensive signature shake bar is one of the fast casual restaurants' highlights, including hand-dipped shakes, malts, floats and sundaes.

"The demand for a great burger and shake hasn't dissipated over the years," says Johnston. "But now, the recession-era dining market wants better food at affordable prices. We're delivering chef-created taste without the chef price."

To further expand, the company is developing a franchise program with opportunities beginning as early as August and currently has three additional Tampa Bay sites in the works; several parties outside of the Tampa market have shown interest, as well.

"We chose Carrollwood [for the second location] because it's an area that is very active during our business hours, and, like the Westchase community, Carrollwood is the kind of community that has legs," says Johnston. "For instance, a customer will share their Burger 21 experience with his or her neighbor who then tells his or her neighbor and so on. That grassroots approach spreads like wild fire and has been a fantastic spark for us."

The Carrollwood location is slated to open in the fall of 2011.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Source: Mark Johnston, Front Burner Brands