Burger 21 Announces Priority Markets for Second Quarter of 2013

TAMPA, Fla., March 14, 2013 /PRNewswire/ -- Burger 21^®, a new better burger franchise founded by the owners of The Melting Pot^® Restaurants, Inc., announced today its priority markets for franchise development in the second quarter of 2013. These markets include: Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, Texas and the Washington, D.C. metro area. To date, Burger 21 has six locations open and 11 franchised restaurants in development along the East Coast.

(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20130214/NY60474LOGO )

Most recently, Burger 21 signed a lease agreement to develop its first franchised restaurant in Atlanta. The restaurant will be located in the Mall of Georgia area and is scheduled to open later this year. Additionally, the company's second franchised location opened in February near the University of Central Florida in Orlando and its third franchised location is slated to open in late April in Voorhees, N.J.

"We are very excited about the growth Burger 21 has experienced in recent months and will be targeting a handful of markets in 2013 that present even more expansion opportunities for the brand," said Dan Stone, vice president of franchise development for Front Burner Brands, management company for Burger 21. "Our brand differentiation has allowed us to be a standout in the better burger segment and has created momentum that will propel growth in new and existing markets throughout the year."

To further fuel Burger 21's national expansion, the company is actively seeking qualified franchisees and will host a live webinar on March 20 at 4 p.m. EDT. To register, or to learn more about franchising opportunities with Burger 21, please visit www.burger21franchise.com/events.aspx or contact Ashley Pollard, franchise sales associate for Burger 21, at 813-425-6252 or [email protected].

Since launching an aggressive growth initiative in Fall 2011, Burger 21 has signed franchise agreements with eight different entities in seven states to develop a total of 13 franchised units in markets along the East Coast, including Atlanta, Orlando, Voorhees, N.J., Charlotte, N.C., Washington D.C., Albany, N.Y. and Sarasota, Fla.

About Burger 21
With six locations open in Tampa Bay and Orlando, Fla., and 11 in development in seven states, Burger 21 is a "beyond the better burger" fast-casual franchise concept founded in 2010. Burger 21 is a chef-inspired brand with offerings including 21 unique burger and slider creations ranging from hand-crafted, freshly ground Certified Angus Beef^® to chicken, turkey, shrimp and tuna burgers, made-to-order salads, all-beef hot dogs, hand-breaded chicken tenders and an extensive shake bar including hand-dipped shakes, floats and sundaes. Burger 21 is an affiliate of Front Burner Brands, a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. For more information, visit http://www.burger21.com.

About Front Burner Brands
Front Burner Brands (formerly known as TGS Restaurant Management) is a restaurant management company headquartered in Tampa, Fla. It is affiliated with the corporate owners of and its management services extended to The Melting Pot Restaurants, Inc., founded in 1975 with more than 135 locations in North America and more than 25 locations currently in development, Burger 21 with six locations open in Tampa Bay and Orlando, Fla., and 11 in development in seven states, GrillSmith with six locations in the Tampa Bay area and other new franchise concepts in development. For more information, visit http://www.frontburnerbrands.com.

SOURCE Burger 21