Two new Fatburger restaurants are in the works to open later this year in Keller and Plano.
The Keller location will open at 1521 Keller Pkwy. Occupying suite 300, it will join Keller Marketplace alongside several other forthcoming restaurants such as Buffalo Wild Wings GO, Qdoba Mexican Grill and Tropical Smoothie Café. Renovation work on the 2,481-square-foot space is expected to start in April and be completed in July.
The Plano location will open at 11855 Dallas Pkwy in suite 300 of Willow Bend Crossing. It will be joining the neighborhood with such restaurants as Torchy’s Tacos, Shell Shack and Jersey Mike’s. Renovation work on the 2,400-square-foot space is also expected to start in April, but be completed in June.
Exact opening dates for the forthcoming restaurants have not yet been announced. Both Fatburger locations are being brought to the area by Curtis Croft of Dallas-based Croft Ventures LLC, parent company of Famous Franchises LLC. He signed a development deal with the brand in July 2019 to open 25 new Fatburger locations throughout Texas with stores set to open in the Dallas, Houston, San Antonio and Austin areas.
Croft became attracted to the Fatburger brand because he wanted a restaurant franchise to call his own. This passion was also shared by two of his key team members – Thomas Kehoe, VP of Operations and Business Development, and Doug Farr, VP of Sales and Business Development.
“Having grown up eating Fatburger and seeing how they become a part of every community they operate in; I knew this was a brand I wanted to represent in the state of Texas,” Croft said in a statement. “If you haven’t had a Fatburger, it is unlike anything out there in the crowded space of burger concepts: fresh, made-to-order burgers, crispy Fat Fries and hand-scooped milkshakes made with real ice cream. It doesn’t stop there, the environment is hip and cool with great old school music, and let’s not forget, the exceptionally friendly customer service. The Fatburger brand stands the test of time, and we hope when we open our doors that we too become a part of the local culture.”
The very first Fatburger here in the Lone Star State opened in June 2020 in North Richland Hills. It is run by local franchisee Maisha Bankhead. Bankhead, a California native, is no stranger to the L.A.-founded burger chain either. She grew up eating at the Fatburger on S La Cienega Blvd in the City of Angels. She is also the franchise owner of Fatburger in Arlington, the brand’s 100th U.S. location, which opened in October 2021.
North Texas’s third Fatburger location is in Allen at 820 W Stacy Rd, suite 620.
Founded by Lovie Yancey in 1947, Fatburger is owned by FAT Brands which is also behind Johnny Rockets, Buffalo’s Express, Yalla Mediterranean and other restaurant brands.
Fatburger is known for its delicious, grilled-to-perfection and cooked to order big burgers which founder Yancey believed can be a meal in itself. Sure, you can get the usual lettuce, tomatoes, onions, and cheese, but burgers can also be topped with just about everything from bacon and eggs, to chili and onion rings.
Also on the menu are Fat and Skinny Fries, sweet potato fries, scratch-made onion rings, Impossible™ Burgers, turkey burgers, hand-breaded crispy chicken sandwiches, and hand-scooped milkshakes.
Note: This article previously listed Bankhead as the franchise owner for the new Keller and Plano locations. This was incorrect and has since been updated to include comment from Croft, the correct owner.
Too bad none are opened by him!
Croft is a fraud