California-based Habit Burger Grill started its East Coast expansion last August with a 2700 square foot end cap unit in the Fair Lawn Promenade in Fair Lawn in New Jersey’s Bergen County followed by a mid-February opening of a 3040 square foot, 86-seat street front unit on Main St. in River Edge, also in Bergen County. The chain is now seeking approvals for an in-line site in the Michael’s Plaza on Rte 35, across from the Monmouth Mall in Eatontown in neighboring Monmouth County, according to Wordontheshore.com. In addition, early in 2015, Habit Burger Grill announced plans for a unit to open in the new Delray Place center on S. Federal Hwy, south of E. Linton Blvd., in Delray Beach, Florida. The Habit Burger Grill is a fast casual restaurant concept that specializes in fresh, made-to-order char-grilled burgers and sandwiches featuring USDA choice tri-tip steak, grilled chicken and sushi-grade albacore tuna cooked over an open flame. The first Habit opened in Santa Barbara, California in 1969. The Habit has since grown to over 110 restaurants in ten markets throughout California, Arizona, Utah and New Jersey. Florida and Nevada sites are opening shortly. The restaurant is owned by The Habit Restaurants Inc., a publicly traded company on the Nasdaq. For its first quarter that ended in late March 2015, Habit Burger Grill recorded total revenues of $54.6-million compared to $37.8-million in the first quarter of 2014. Comparable restaurant sales were up by 12.6 percent and the chain added four locations during the first quarter to end with 113 company-owned locations and one licensed locations. During 2015, the company will open 26 to 28 company-owned restaurants and three to five franchised units. In an international franchise agreement with Food Quest Restaurant Management LLC signed in January, the first of 50 Habit Burger Grill restaurants in the Middle East will open in the United Arab Emirates in the second half of 2015.
CATEGORY: Quick Casual
Chain Name: Habit Burger Grill
Company Name: The Habit Restaurants Inc.
Street Address: 17320 Red Hill Ave., Suite 140, Irvine, California 92614
Tel: 949/334-1434 Fax: 949/851-8881
Email: Website: www.habitburger.com
Menu Specialty: Fresh, made-to-order char-grilled burgers and sandwiches featuring USDA choice tri-tip steak, grilled chicken and sushi-grade albacore tuna cooked over an open flame.
Introduced: The original Habit Burger Grill opened in Santa Barbara in Southern California in 1969. When the company went public in 2014, founders Brent and Bruce Reichard continued to operate five locations in Santa Barbara, California.
No. of Locations: Over 110 in California, Arizona, Utah and New Jersey with sites in Florida and Nevada opening shortly. First of 50 Middle East locations will open in 2015.
Areas of Operation: California, Arizona, Utah and New Jersey, Florida and Nevada
Types of Location:
BusinessType (corp., franchise, jv): Public company, Corporate & Franchises
Size Req’d: 2000 to 2800 sq.ft.
Special Requirements (patio, drive-thru, etc):
Contact Name: Russ Bandel – President, CEO
Ira Fils – CFO
Russell Friend – Chief Development Officer
Matt Hood – Chief Marketing Officer
Christopher Schlueter – Director, Real Estate
Director, Marketing – Charlotte Lucich
REAL ESTATE REPRESENTATIVES:
FRANCHISE REPRESENTATIVES:
PARENT COMPANY: The Habit Restaurants Inc., Irvine, California
Related Chains:
Last Report: Restaurant & QSR Expansion Report #135 Last Update:
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