Posted on
Sunday, June 28, 2009
Sunday, June 28, 2009
In The Works: Burgers, Burritos, New Businesses Coming Soon
By BRIAN PEARSON
Business Editor
A parking lot near Troup Highway and Loop 323 in Tyler soon could be converted into a new culinary cluster housing burger and burrito joints.
Business Editor
A parking lot near Troup Highway and Loop 323 in Tyler soon could be converted into a new culinary cluster housing burger and burrito joints.
One tenant will be a Smashburger franchise, said Matthew Marshall of Landbridge Commercial Properties in Tyler.
The Colorado-based Smashburger boasts "high-end" burgers that are "smashed, seared and seasoned on the grill," according to the company Web site.
It will be part of what is being called the Troup Highway Retail Center, located near the Fat Catz eatery across the drive from the abandoned Bennigan's, Marshall said.
Ron Mabry Architects of Tyler is handling the design work, and the property is under contract, he said.
"It's going to be awesome," Marshall said, adding that the center should be completed by early 2010.
Also in the works but not as far along as the Troup Highway Retail Center are plans for yet another restaurant cluster on South Broadway Avenue near the Carmike Theater, Marshall said.
It also will include a Smashburger, a burrito joint, a Subway and a Wingstop, he said.
Smashburger has 13 franchises nationwide, with nine in Colorado, according to the company Web site. There are two in Kansas, one in Houston and one in Minnesota.
Marshall said two locations are in the works for Longview.
The menu includes burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, fries, haystack onions, chili, salads and Haagen-Dazs ice cream products.
Marshall said it will be similar to Fuddruckers and offer beer and wine.
Jeff Worthen and a group of investors decided to bring Smashburger to Tyler after visiting a franchise near Reliant Stadium in Houston.
"It was so unbelievably good that we decided to look into this," said Worthen, whose team will open The Egg & I franchise July 13 at the corner of Broadway Avenue and Ninth Street.
After their Houston visit, Worthen, incoming East Texas chapter president of the Texas Restaurant Association, and his team then flew to Colorado to meet with Smashburger representatives.
"Then we said, 'We've got to do this,'" he said.
Worthen and his fellow investors have 30 franchises, including Subway, Wingstop and Great American Cookie.
He predicted Smashburger will be a smash hit in Tyler.
"It's just a fantastic burger," Worthen said. "It's a great atmosphere. It's an upbeat, fun place to be.
"But what really sells is the hamburger. It's fresh, never-frozen angus meat."
In addition to the Troup Highway Retail Center, the investors are working on a similar but larger center on South Broadway near the Carmike 14 theater and Braum's Ice Cream and Dairy Store.
"South Broadway is just real busy," Worthen said of why his group chose that location. "It's the business part of East Texas. South Broadway is just very dense in population."
In addition to the Smashburger, developers are working to land burrito places at both locations, Worthen said.
He added that the 7205 S. Broadway Ave. development will have about 20,000 square feet of building space.
Marshall said there will be room at the 6,000-square-foot Troup Retail Center for one more tenant, such as a dry cleaners, insurance agency, bank branch or even another restaurant.
Marshall said Worthen and his group's two projects represent a trend in Tyler commercial development.
Developers are leaning toward construction of restaurant-type ventures rather than retail outlets, he said.
Restaurant-type ventures are popular partly because they have regional appeal.
"We're coming out of the ground with two very big projects," Marshall said. "We're taking more of a regional approach. They're going to be regional franchisees. They're guys who are continuing to do well in this economy.
"It seems like there are enough people to come to town. If you live in Lindale or live in Van, if you come here for a movie, you're going to go out to eat, too."
Want to know about an ongoing construction project? Contact Business Editor Brian Pearson at 903-596-6280 or bpearson@tylerpaper.com
FAQ
Log in
Register
Re: Debate not Dishonor - 11/06/09 03:25:00 PM
Debate not Dishonor - 11/06/09 02:09:00 AM
Father's Advice - 11/05/09 10:34:00 AM
Re: (No heading) - 11/04/09 12:38:00 PM
What ever happened to states rights? - 11/03/09 08:10:00 PM
UP IN SMOKE - 11/03/09 07:31:00 PM
House Health care bill - 11/03/09 04:22:00 PM
Re: So what's the solution to the healthcare crisis? - 11/03/09 03:02:00 PM