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23.02.2012

New Burger 21 franchise looking to establish itself in the "better burger" segment

According to a report published on the website, fesmag.com, the founders of The Melting Pot restaurants, Bob and Mark Johnston, are launching Burger 21, a new fast-casual concept. The report reveals that the brothers created a new corporate entity, Front Burner Brands, to lay the groundwork for their diversification plans whose portfolio now includes Burger 21.

Having piloted the concept with two company-owned units in the Tampa Bay market since November 2010, the company began franchising last fall. According to fesmag, the company hopes to have signed agreements for at least 30 franchised restaurants by the end of this year.

In an interview, Mark Johnston, chief concept officer for Front Burner Brands and president and CEO of Burger 21, said, "It's not asking too much for us ultimately to have between 500 and 800 restaurants in the U.S. We also have a lot of international experience with The Melting Pot, so within a year or two we'll likely also begin to franchise Burger 21 internationally." (kbp)