Burger 21 expanding to the Windy City

TAMPA — Burger 21 signed two new franchise agreements for its first restaurants in Chicago area, marking the brand's entry into Illinois, and Dallas.

Ed Karayanes and Art Chmiel, who operated several McDonald's restaurants for years, have agreed to bring Burger 21 to the Windy City. The partners plan to develop the first Illinois restaurant in the Rosemont area of Chicago. The new location is scheduled to open by fall 2015.

Chmiel says the duo was attracted to the franchise by its strong unit economics, the quality of the menu items and the restaurant experience. The partners, he says, eventually hope to expand the brand's footprint in the greater Chicago area.

Ken and Chantrell Goodgames will develop the new Burger 21 location in the Irving-Las Colinas area of Dallas. Ken Goodgames will oversee the restaurant's daily operations when it opens in the second half of 2015. The franchisees expect to open additional locations in the Dallas market over the next few years.

Earlier this year, the restaurant brand signed a franchise deal with another group for the first Burger 21 restaurant in Texas. That restaurant in Austin, Texas, is scheduled to open by the summer.
“With the development of these new restaurants, we see great potential to further expand the brand's footprint in both Texas and Illinois,” Mark Johnston, president of Burger 21, says in a press release. “We look forward to building on this momentum as we continue to drive our national expansion efforts across the country.”

Burger 21 says franchisees should have a minimum net worth of $500,000 and liquid assets of at least $200,000 per unit. Depending on the real estate site selected, franchisees can expect the total investment for one restaurant to be from $422,083 to $974,395.

The burger restaurant franchise currently has 15 open locations and more than 20 franchised restaurants in development nationwide.