Franchising

Bobby’s Burgers debuting flagship in Charlotte

Photo: Bobby's

February 5, 2024

Bobby's Burgers By Bobby Flay is opening a flagship restaurant located in Charlotte's SouthPark neighborhood, a two-building office complex owned by Crestlight Capital. Crestlight is in the midst of a $20 million modernization project of the property.

"I'm thrilled that we are opening our flagship Bobby's Burgers in Charlotte, North Carolina," Flay said in a company press release. "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 December of 2022. Since stepping into the role, McGill has secured multi-unit agreements in Denver, Illinois and North Carolina 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," McGill said. "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 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," Scibelli said in the release. "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."