New restaurant in SouthPark’s premier mixed-use location to serve as the brand’s Global Innovation and Training Center
Today, Bobby’s Burgers By Bobby Flay announced spring 2024 will mark the opening of its new street-side, flagship restaurant located in Charlotte’s SouthPark neighborhood. Creating the perfect franchising opportunity is much like crafting the ultimate burger – requiring dedication to providing an outstanding experience – and Bobby’s Burgers has all the right ingredients. The new restaurant will also serve as Flay’s test kitchen where he will personally craft and perfect all new recipes.
“I’m thrilled that we are opening our flagship Bobby’s Burgers in Charlotte, North Carolina,” said Flay. “It will be an amazing resource for ongoing R&D and a place to bring serious operators who are considering joining the Bobby’s Burgers experience. Charlotte was handpicked because it is the headquarters for our executive team in charge of franchising. I’m looking forward to many successful years in our new location.”
In December of 2021, Flay awarded global franchising rights to Charlotte-based Intelligration Capital, leaning on the group’s years of collective franchising experience to drive the concept’s domestic and global expansion. Leading Intelligration’s team is Michael McGill, who was named President of Bobby’s Burgers in Dec. of 2022. Since stepping into the role, McGill has secured multi-unit agreements in Denver, Illinois, North Carolina and more, with expansion across the country on the horizon in 2024.
“Just as Bobby is dedicated to serving an unparalleled dining experience, we pride ourselves on our unwavering commitment to providing an industry-leading franchise experience to all our operator partners,” said McGill. “We are continuously looking for new ways to enhance our franchise offering, and opening this flagship restaurant in our own backyard is the next step along that journey – ensuring that each franchisee gets the kind of personalized training and support we promise every member of the Bobby’s Burgers family.”
The restaurant will be owned and run by the Bobby’s Burgers’ Charlotte-based corporate team. The partnership includes key investors and celebrated local restaurateur Frank Scibelli, who will further help to drive the success of the new location with his deep knowledge of the Charlotte restaurant community.
“Bobby brings the kind of innovation that will surely disrupt the burger scene in Charlotte, which is one of the many reasons his brand is perfect for our community,” said Scibelli. “I have spent decades helping transform a variety of casual dining brands from promising concepts into household names across the Carolinas, so investing with this team under Bobby’s expertise just makes sense. We are thrilled to bring Bobby Flay’s Ultimate Burger Experience to Charlotte.”
As the star of the Bobby’s Burgers menu, seven hamburgers are made to order – all based on exclusive Bobby Flay’s recipes – starting with a Certified Angus Beef patty and cooked to your choice of medium or well-done, which is unique in the fast-casual industry. Guests also have the option to Crunchify, a term coined and trademarked by Bobby himself, any burger by adding potato chips between the burger and bun. Other menu options include a hand-battered and fried chicken sandwich and a veggie burger using a winning recipe from the “Beat Bobby Flay” TV show. Made-to-order sides like buttermilk onion rings, sweet potato fries and bacon cheese fries perfectly complement Bobby’s lineup of burgers, and guests can top off their meal with a variety of spoon-bending milkshakes. Guests can also start their day with Bobby’s Burgers’ flavor-packed breakfast menu, available until 11 a.m.
The new flagship restaurant is located in The Towers at SouthPark, a two-building office complex owned by Crestlight Capital. Crestlight is in the midst of a $20 million modernization project of the property, with upgrades that will position the Towers at SouthPark as the premier mixed-use project in SouthPark. Other prominent figures in the project include Adam Williams, representing the landlord through Legacy Real Estate Advisors, and John Hadley, serving as the tenant representative for The Nichols Company.
For more information about Bobby’s Burgers, visit BobbysBurgers.com. To learn about franchise opportunities, visit BobbysBurgers.com/franchising.
Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay is the ultimate burger experience co-founded by renowned chef Bobby Flay. As a reflection of his successful 40-plus-year career in the restaurant industry, Flay has handcrafted every ingredient and menu item to create both a craveable and approachable Bobby Flay dining experience. Backed by a team of veterans in the restaurant industry, Bobby’s Burgers offers tailored support from experts to ensure that every location has the highest-quality burger experience. With seven locations currently open and several in the development pipeline, Bobby’s Burgers is launching its full-scale U.S. and international franchise expansion plan.
Crestlight Capital is a commercial real estate operating platform that invests in existing, high-quality industrial, office, and mixed-use commercial assets within the Sunbelt, Mountain and Central regions of the United States, particularly high-growth markets in proximity to innovation and education hubs. Principals at Crestlight have $18B of commercial real estate experience over the past decade and were trained at premier real estate investment firms such as Blackstone, Rockwood Capital, and Townsend. Crestlight has and will continue to foster deep relationships across the industry based on a foundation of trust and results while maintaining a hands-on, methodical approach to investing and a commitment to preservation of investors’ capital.
