BurgerFi: A New Fast Casual Better Burger Franchise With Average Unit Sales Volume of More Than $2 Million

What is BurgerFi?

Led by a trio of industry veterans with decades of five-star restaurant experience, BurgerFi is a sustainable, fast casual franchise concept focusing on gourmet, all-natural Angus beef burgers in a hip, urban setting.

BurgerFi’s Menu Offerings

BurgerFi is trying to differentiate itself in the marketplace with a distinctive menu of flavorful gourmet burgers made from Angus beef that is certified all-natural, 100 percent grass-fed beef hot dogs with no nitrates, fresh-cut potato fries, hand cut onion rings, house-made frozen custard with no preservatives, sundaes, and shakes.  In addition, BurgerFi serves craft beers and wines which are burger-centric and complement the savory flavors of the BurgerFi burgers and over 20 toppings.

BurgerFi uses ingredients that are naturally grown from sustainable humane-certified ranches, source and age verified, vegetarian fed with no antibiotics or hormones.

The company does not use high fructose corn syrup.

BurgerFi’s Focus on Sustainability

Built with sustainability at its foundation, BurgerFi uses FSC certified lumber, LED lighting, low VOC paint, and Energy Star appliances. Each location also uses aluminum trays and cups made of recycled corn.

BurgerFi’s Growth Plans

BurgerFi currently operates three locations in Florida with plans to open 24 more in California, Texas, Ohio, and Connecticut by the end of 2012. The company has more than 100 signed deals secured in its first year of franchising and continues to attract high-level, business savvy investors looking to open single or multiple units around the country.

Typical development costs range from $300,000 to $550,000 and the average unit sales volume is more than $2 million. Each BurgerFi location runs about 2,000 to 3,000 square feet, and employs between 15 and 27 people.

BurgerFi’s Co-Founders

BurgerFi was co-founded in 2010 by renowned restauranteur David Manero along with co-managing members John Rosatti and Lee Goldberg. The idea for BurgerFi came after the success and acclaim generated from Manero’s Delray Beach restaurant, The Office, and its top selling and most talked about all-natural Angus “CEO Burger”.

David Manero, BurgerFi’s Chief Concept Officer, has deep roots in the restaurant industry, founding David Manero Restaurants in 1999. He created the well known and successful Vic & Angelo’s restaurants as well as The Office Delray Beach, originator of the “CEO Burger”.  He is a former development manager for Wolfgang Puck and owner of numerous restaurants in his native Connecticut.

Manero says, “We set out to lead the ‘BurgerFication of the Nation’ by changing how people think about burgers. Every time a BurgerFi opens, the community embraces the brand. There’s a huge buzz. From the high-quality food to the upbeat atmosphere to the sustainable model, wherever we open, people love everything about us.”

BurgerFi Chairman John Rosatti, a New  York native and serial entrepreneur, has achieved a number of successes throughout his career including Plaza Auto Mall, Millennium Super Yachts, and most recently BurgerFi.

Lee Goldberg, General Counsel for BurgerFi, specializes in national and international transactional law in the restaurant and entertainment industries. He has a long track record of success as a former Wendy’s and Popeye’s Famous Fried Chicken franchisee.

Goldberg says, “Unlike other burger brands that were built from the bottom up with guys from fast-food chains, this one was built from the top down by people with a lifetime of fine dining restaurant experience who go to great lengths to choose only the highest quality, best tasting ingredients. Once people try us, they don’t have a desire to eat a burger anywhere else.”