Meatheads Burgers & Fries (commonly referred to as Meatheads) is an American fast food retailer of high-end hamburgers and other related menu items based in Illinois.
 | |
| Company type | Fast casual restaurant |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2007 |
| Successor | Epic Burger |
| Headquarters | , United States |
| Parent | Epic Burger |
| Website | www |
The company was founded by Tom Jednorowicz, formerly an executive at Potbelly Sandwich Works and Einstein Bros. Bagels.[1][2] Meatheads started in Bloomington, Illinois in 2007[3][4] and became a popular spot among students of Illinois State University and the popular young crowd. The company went on to open fourteen more locations in the Chicago area, first entering that market in 2009.[5][6][7] As of October 2016, 17 locations were in operation, one of which was in Champaign, Illinois near the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign campus.[8]
Among a growing number of specialty burger chains in the United States,[9] Meatheads attempted to differentiate from its competition such as Five Guys and Smashburger by cutting a customer's fries in front of them, similar to west-coast based In-N-Out Burger. Meatheads described itself as a "fast-casual" chain as opposed to a traditional fast food chain.
With reported annual sales in 2011 of approximately $5 million, the chain was solely composed of company-owned stores, and did not implemented a franchise model.[10]
On April 9, 2021, Meatheads Burgers & Fries filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The chain's parent company, Crave Brands LLC, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection the same day. [11] In September 2023, Epic Burger acquired the remaining six Meatheads locations and began the process of converting them to Epic Burger,[12] starting with the Northbrook location.[13]
Notes edit
- ^ Fisher, Jennifer (12 March 2011). Burger Joint Serves Up Fries, Milkshakes And Acts of Kindness, Northbrook Patch
- ^ Brandau, Mark (16 November 2009). Meatheads Burgers and Fries paces itself for steady growth, Nation's Restaurant News
- ^ Arney, Steve (20 December 2007). Meat Heads keeps it simple, The Pantagraph
- ^ Wolinsky, David. (16 November 2012). Meatheads' Tom Jednorowicz on Hiring Trends in the Food Biz, NBC Chicago
- ^ Dolinsky, Steve 6 February 2009). First Friday Burger & Fries Archived 2013-07-07 at the Wayback Machine, ABC 7 Chicago
- ^ Bendersky, Ari. (15 August 2012). Meatheads Burgers & Fries Headed to Roscoe Village, Chicago Eater
- ^ Lazare, Lewis. (25 September 2012). Meatheads finally opens in Chicago, Chicago Business Journal
- ^ "locations". Meatheads Burgers. Retrieved November 7, 2017.
- ^ Barakat, Matthew (Associated Press writer)(12 July 2010). Hungry Americans crave bigger, better burger joints, Winnipeg Free Press
- ^ Bertagnoli, Lisa (14 March 2011). Franchise? No thanks: These firms prefer to fly solo, Crain's Chicago Business
- ^ "This Beloved Local Burger Chain Just Filed for Bankruptcy". 14 April 2021.
- ^ "Epic Burger In Chicago Taking Over Another Burger Chain". Forbes.
- ^ "Hello, Northbrook: Epic Burger Opens New Location In CEO's Hometown". 15 February 2024.
References edit
- "How a burger chain picks a site". Chain Leader Magazine. November 1, 2009. Archived from the original on September 29, 2014. Retrieved December 23, 2012.