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SALT LAKE CITY — Celebrity chef Bobby Flay is bringing his latest business venture to Utah.
Bobby's Burgers by Bobby Flay, primarily known for its food court locations, announced Monday it is seeking to add nine restaurants in the Beehive State as part of a major nationwide expansion to more traditional streetside restaurants. It struck a deal with Montana-based MTB Management to operate the future stores in Utah.
Neither Bobby's Burgers nor MTB Management revealed the Utah locations, but officials said the goal is to open at least one location by the end of this year. At least one of its locations will be at University Place in Orem, according to real estate development.
"Bringing Bobby's Burgers to Utah is a significant milestone for us as we continue expanding our footprint," Flay, the company's co-founder, said in a statement. "It's an exciting journey ahead and I'm delighted to welcome such a distinguished collaborator to our rapidly growing franchise family."
Flay — who has won three James Beard awards and has hosted several popular Food Network shows in his career — co-founded Bobby's Burgers in 2021 as a variant of his fast-casual chain Bobby's Burger Palace, which dates back to 2008. Before this month, it operated in a few resorts and casinos in Las Vegas and Atlantic City, New Jersey, as well as Yankee Stadium and Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport.
It opened its first traditional streetside restaurant in Charlotte, North Carolina, earlier this month. Along with Utah, the brand plans to add multiple locations in Colorado and in the Chicago area as it branches out through a "full-scale U.S. and international franchise expansion plan."
It reached a deal with MTB Management to handle future Utah operations. The company, founded by Joe Sample in 2002, operates 12 Taco Bell franchise locations in Montana. This would be its first venture in Utah, as it also seeks to expand.
"Introducing Bobby's Burgers by Bobby Flay to Utah is the next step along our accelerating growth trajectory," Sample added in a statement. "With a mutual dedication to exceptional operational support and culinary excellence ... I'm confident we're going to change the landscape of the burger scene across Utah."
