Burger 21
Burger 21 is a Tampa-based, franchise-led fast-casual better-burger chain founded in 2009 under Front Burner Brands, operating ~11 restaurants across five U.S. states with 21 chef-crafted burger varieties, a Punchh-powered loyalty app, and third-party delivery and catering channels.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2009
- HeadquartersTampa, United States
- Headcount251–500
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Burger 21 does
Burger 21 is a fast-casual "better burger" restaurant chain founded in 2009 in Tampa, Florida, and operated under Front Burner Brands, the same parent company that founded The Melting Pot. The chain runs a franchise-led model with approximately 11 restaurant locations across Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Virginia, supplemented by two food trucks ("Burger 21 on Wheels") serving the Tampa Bay and Lakeland markets and airport presences in Tampa International. Its menu is anchored on 21 chef-crafted burger varieties (beef, chicken, turkey, seafood, and plant-based) prepared from scratch in each location, with supporting categories of fresh salads, hand-spun shakes, fries and sides, sliders/tenders, and kids meals.
Under the hood, the digital stack consists of a Punchh-powered mobile loyalty app (Patty Perks) for points, offers, and stored-value gift cards, an Incentivio-based online ordering site (order.burger21.com), and integrations with UberEats, DoorDash, GrubHub, and Postmates for delivery. Catering is fulfilled both directly and through ezcater. The core technology is therefore a fairly standard restaurant SaaS stack rather than proprietary infrastructure.
Commercially, Burger 21 earns revenue through restaurant sales (dine-in, takeout, delivery, and catering) and franchise fees/royalties from its franchisee partners. Pricing is location-specific and predominantly unit-based — combo meals in the $9-$16 range, kids meals at $4.99-$6, weekly Cheesy Wednesday promotions, and value baskets under $10 in select stores — with loyalty-driven discounts layered through Patty Perks. End customers are individual diners, families, and corporate/event groups, with no disclosed large-anchor B2B accounts; the business is a long-tail consumer model with secondary catering volume.
Burger 21 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Burger 21
- Legal name
- Burger 21 Inc.
- Website
- https://burger21.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2009
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 251–500 employees
- Short description
- Burger 21 is a Tampa-based, franchise-led fast-casual better-burger chain founded in 2009 under Front Burner Brands, operating ~11 restaurants across five U.S. states with 21 chef-crafted burger varieties, a Punchh-powered loyalty app, and third-party delivery and catering channels.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Burger 21 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Fast Casual Restaurants
- NAICS
- Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Caterers (722320)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Burger Fast Casual (THAFABAA)
Keywords
Where Burger 21 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Tampa
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices11 records
Markets served
Burger 21 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D
Revenue model
- Restaurant Sales: Revenue generated from food and beverage sales at restaurant locations including dine-in, takeout, and delivery orders.
- Franchise Fees: Initial franchise fees and ongoing royalties from franchisees who operate Burger 21 restaurant locations.
- Catering Services: Catering delivery and catering to-go orders for events and groups, available through website ordering and ezcater platform.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Kids Meals for children 10 and under |
| Unit Pricing | Weekly | Cheesy Wednesday combo meal |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Albuquerque location specials |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | New Tampa location value baskets |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Patty Perks Loyalty Rewards |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels5 records
Burger 21 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Burger 21 is a fast-casual burger restaurant chain selling 21 chef-crafted burger varieties made with premium hand-cut Angus beef that is free of hormones and antibiotics, prepared in scratch kitchens for each order. The menu also includes hand-spun shakes, fresh salads, fries and sides, sliders, tenders, bowls, and kids meals, with build-your-own customization options and gluten-friendly choices.
Product overview
Burger 21 is a fast-casual burger restaurant chain offering 21 chef-crafted burger varieties with proteins including beef, chicken, turkey, seafood, and plant-based options. The company operates as a single unified restaurant concept with complementary product lines including hand-spun shakes, fresh salads, fries and sides, wholesome bowls, sliders and tenders, and kids meals. Digital services include the Patty Perks loyalty program (powered by Punchh), online ordering (via Incentivio), third-party delivery integrations (Uber Eats, DoorDash, GrubHub, Postmates), catering services, food truck operations, and gift cards. Founded in 2009, the company is headquartered in Tampa, Florida and operates locations across Florida, Georgia, New Mexico, North Carolina, and Virginia.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Burger 21 on Wheels: Food truck operations serving the Tampa Bay and Lakeland areas.
- Patty Perks
Products and services
- Chef-Crafted Burgers
Quantifiable outcome
- Donated over $120,000 to local communities since 2009 through Spirit Night fundraising program
Companies that use Burger 21
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Burger 21 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration7 records
Feature2 records
Burger 21 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- UberEATScoreUberEATS food delivery partnership allowing customers to order Burger 21 through the UberEATS platform for delivery.
- DoorDashcoreDoorDash delivery partnership enabling Burger 21 delivery through the DoorDash platform.
- GrubHubcoreGrubHub food delivery partnership for Burger 21 delivery orders.
- PostmatesminorPostmates delivery partnership (now integrated with Uber Eats) for on-demand Burger 21 delivery.
- ezcatercoreCatering delivery partnership through ezcater platform enabling catering orders and delivery for corporate events and group orders at participating locations.
- Front Burner BrandsflagshipBurger 21 is part of Tampa-based Front Burner Brands, also known for founding The Melting Pot restaurant chain. The parent company provides brand development and franchise support infrastructure.
- IncentiviocoreOnline ordering platform provider powering Burger 21's online ordering and delivery integration.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Burger 21 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Five Guys: Largest U.S. better-burger franchise with custom-prepared burgers and fresh-cut fries in a counter-service format. Highly comparable in product mix and made-to-order positioning; outscales Burger 21 by an order of magnitude in unit count.
- Shake Shack: Public better-burger fast-casual chain offering premium Angus burgers, hand-spun shakes, and custards in a scratch-kitchen format. Closely comparable to Burger 21 on positioning, menu architecture, and scratch-cooking philosophy, but materially larger in scale.
- Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers: Midwest-anchored franchise serving steakburgers, hot dogs, and frozen custard in a fast-casual counter-service format. Comparable in franchise model, premium-ingredient positioning, and dessert/shake-centric menu extension.
- Smashburger: Multi-unit better-burger fast-casual chain focused on smashed-patty burgers with diverse protein options. Highly comparable in menu architecture and franchise-driven GTM; competes for the same franchisee and consumer base.
- BurgerFi: Premium better-burger chain with natural Angus beef and a strong LTO/seasonal menu cadence. Directly comparable on chef-crafted positioning, scratch kitchen operations, and limited-time menu innovation.
- The Habit Burger Grill: California-based charburger-focused fast-casual chain acquired by Yum! Brands. Directly comparable in premium-burger positioning, menu variety, and franchise model; trades at meaningful scale advantage.
- Culver's: Midwest-based fast-casual chain famous for ButterBurgers and frozen custard. Comparable on counter-service fast-casual model, premium ingredient story, and custard/shake menu extension.
- Wayback Burgers: Connecticut-based better-burger franchise with hand-patty burgers, hand-dipped milkshakes, and active franchise expansion. Directly comparable in size, franchise model, and 'better than fast food' positioning.
Broad incumbents
- Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews: Public casual-dining chain with a burger-centric menu, full bar, and broad family appeal. Comparable core product but at fuller-service, larger-format, higher-check level than Burger 21's fast-casual positioning.
Emerging players
- Hopdoddy Burger Bar: Austin-born better-burger chain with chef-inspired burgers, in-house buns, and craft cocktails. Comparable on premium, chef-crafted positioning but operates at casual-dining price point and ticket size versus Burger 21's fast-casual model.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Burger 21 social profiles
Digital presenceBurger 21 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Burger 21 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Burger 21 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Burger 21 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Burger 21
What does Burger 21 do?
Burger 21 is a fast-casual burger restaurant chain selling 21 chef-crafted burger varieties made with premium hand-cut Angus beef that is free of hormones and antibiotics, prepared in scratch kitchens for each order. The menu also includes hand-spun shakes, fresh salads, fries and sides, sliders, tenders, bowls, and kids meals, with build-your-own customization options and gluten-friendly choices.
Is Burger 21 a public or private company?
Burger 21 is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Burger 21 founded?
Burger 21 was founded in 2009. It employs 251 to 500 people.
Where is Burger 21 based?
Burger 21 is headquartered in Tampa, United States, in the North America region.
How does Burger 21 make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Restaurant Sales are the primary driver. The others are franchise Fees and catering Services.
Who are Burger 21's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Five Guys, Shake Shack, Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers, Smashburger, BurgerFi, The Habit Burger Grill, Culver's and Wayback Burgers. Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews is listed as a broad incumbent. Hopdoddy Burger Bar is listed as an emerging player.
Does Burger 21 have an API?
No public API is recorded for Burger 21.
What industry is Burger 21 in?
Burger 21's product category is Fast Casual Restaurants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFABAA, Burger Fast Casual. Its NAICS code is 722513.