Or at least his burger franchise is. In news released today, Bobby’s Burgers, have announced plans to bring the concept to the Beehive state. Considering that a recent report found Utahns the third most voracious for burgers in the U.S. they sound like smart plans to me. Via a press announcement today, the Bobby Flay backed brand writes:
“Salt Lake City is an ideal market for Bobby’s Burgers, and we’re ready to give residents a taste of the craveable experience. We’re all about having a great-tasting burger, while also being approachable to the everyday person. The menu is like no other, and we want people in new markets, like Salt Lake City, to be able to encounter the full opportunity to enjoy a dining experience by Bobby Flay, or bring Bobby’s Burgers home with to-go orderings.”
At the time of writing the brand are soliciting potential franchisees for the targeted SLC location. The company was founded in 2021 and currently operates locations in Vegas, Jersey and NYC. On the food front Bobby’s offers a menu that the brand write reflects Flay’s “love of Americana and represents the many places and cultures throughout the United States where he has enjoyed living and traveling.” Items include:
- Signature crunchburger – American cheese, a thin layer of potato chips and Bobby’s sauce
- Brunch burger – egg, bacon and American cheese
- BBQ smokehouse burger – bacon, crispy onion, chipotle barbecue sauce and American cheese
- Nacho burger- queso, tomato salsa and pickled jalapeños
- Fried chicken sandwich – aji amarillo mayo, slaw and pickles
- Bobby’s veggie burger – American cheese, BBQ mushrooms, chickpeas and quinoa
Sides include fries (with cheese and bacon-topped options) and hand-battered onion rings. Plus, an array of milkshakes too. You can check out how that all looks in practice over on their Instagram here. Flay himself has a certain tenuous link to Utah, bested twice by local chef Viet Pham on the TV network show Beat Bobby Flay. Should the expansion plans come off – anyone fancy a third encounter over burgers? Just throwing that out there marketing folks…
The news comes hot on the heels of a possible return of local legend Training Table, as well as ongoing efforts of the Jack In The Box brand to push further into Northern Utah. At any rate, it looks set to be an interesting year or two for burger lovers along the Wasatch. In the interim, check out our own list of the best burgers in town here.
Want to work with the Food Network TV star and his burger empire? Franchisees can apply here.
Image credit, Bobby’s Burgers.
Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you! I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC. I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.
I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV. Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune. I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand. What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.
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Utah already has iconic local burger joints, so it will be interesting to see if Bobby’s Burgers actually can take hold. I enjoyed interviewing Flay in 2003 when he was in Utah filming his FoodNation show. His star was just starting to rise, and he was friendly; not arrogant at all.