BurgerFi plans aggressive expansion with over 30 new locations in development

As well as the upcoming locations, the better-burger brand will open nine new stores before 2021.

BurgerFi, a fast-casual restaurant franchise competing in the better-burger space, has signed letters of intent (LOI) for more than 30 new units. As well as these, BurgerFi has also announced it will open nine new stores before the end of this year.

18 of these new locations will be in BurgerFi’s home state of Florida, with 12 outside of the state and consisting of a mix of traditional and non-traditional units.

“We are thrilled that our plans to grow the BurgerFi family of restaurants is well underway,” said Charlie Guzzetta, president of BurgerFi. “As we make progress in our business combination with OPES, our team is ready for a promising fourth quarter in unit growth and an impressive pipeline in 2021 for new openings.”

Expansion plans

BurgerFi’s expansion plans are being conducted in partnership with OPES Acquisition Corp., a special purpose organization focused on mergers, asset acquisition, and stock purchasing.

“This development represents an exciting first step in solidifying brand recognition in key markets where BurgerFi already has a strong presence and we believe that it primes the path for our strategic vision to continue our market expansion,” said Ophir Sternberg, chairman and CEO of OPES Acquisition Corp. “Franchisees have been doubling down on their investment and looking to expand their footprint.”

This includes multi-unit franchisees like Manuel Sánchez Ortega, who plans to open a new location in Towson, Maryland in September, and another in the Columbia, Maryland shortly after.

Franchisee growth

“Being part of the BurgerFi team has been a very rewarding experience,” said Ortega. “I have seen first-hand how happy the guests are with the quality of the food, and how it meets the needs of the next generation of consumers who demand transparency and better-for-you ingredients. I’m very excited to grow my group of restaurants during this new phase of development for the entire BurgerFi family.”

As well as the 125 BurgerFi locations currently operated in the U.S. and overseas by franchisees, BurtgerFi plans to expand its international presence with a recently-signed six-unit agreement for Saudi Arabia; growing the better-burger brand’s footprint in the Gulf Corporation Council.