Burger joint gets a name change
A natural burger joint is still coming to Laguna Beach this spring, but with a new name.
Originally to be named Urbun Natural Burger, owner and operator David Mainiero, 23, said the restaurant will now be called BurgerFi. It will occupy the former Kentucky Fried Chicken location at 695 S. Coast Hwy.
Mainiero’s father is a partner in BurgerFi, which has three restaurants in Florida and has plans to open others in Texas, Ohio, Connecticut and the Carolinas. Laguna Beach will be its first West Coast foray.
In November, Mainiero shared his plans with the Coastline Pilot for Urbun, which would have an environmentally conscious feel — from its corn compostable cups and green construction to grass-fed hot dogs and veggie burgers.
He promised a reasonable price point, not much higher than In-N-Out.
“They share a lot of the same tenets I was trying to implement with Urbun,” he said of BurgerFi. “I felt I could make a bigger impact using the BurgerFi brand because of their resources and large network of support.”
One look at BurgerFi’s website and it’s clear the concept is similar. BurgerFi serves the Mexican Coca-Cola, which is sweetened with real cane sugar rather than corn syrup. The prices range from $3.47 for a New York hot dog to $8.97 for a triple bacon cheeseburger.
Similar to In-N-Out, BurgerFi offers a not-so-secret “secret menu” on the website.
Craft beers, wine and frozen custards are also on the menu, similar to Urbun Natural Burger’s original concept.
Mainiero said the Laguna Beach location will be a “unique offshoot” of the brand.
The rebranding won’t change the look of the exterior, he said, but minor changes will be made to the interior to keep it consistent with the BurgerFi brand.
BurgerFi plans to open in May.
Twitter: @joannaclay