When the last staff member at the new Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries in Springfield turned off the store lights and locked the door a little before midnight, 50 plus people outside already were just getting started on their night.

These loyal burger fans camped out to be the first 50 in line to get a coupon giving them a free burger a week for a year at the store's 10 a.m. grand opening on Wednesday.

The first group in line, consisting of Ana Elinan and her children Oscar, Ana and Daniel, along with friend Fernando Ayula, put their chairs in place around 8:50 p.m.

"We weren't planning on sitting until 10, but we saw people sitting on cars, so we sat up our chairs," said 18-year-old daughter Ana Elinan, who just graduated from West Springfield High School and quipped that her plans were cheaper than her class's All-Night Graduation Party. "Everyone followed us after that."

The Elinans said they had just tried a Boardwalk burger the day before at one of the free giveaways the store ran in the two days leading up to the grand opening. The group whiled away the time playing Uno at the table they brought with them, surrounding it with camp chairs. They said they planned to take turns on who would sleep throughout the night. 11-year-old Daniel said, "I'll stay up all night!"

Right next to them in line was a group of Lake Braddock juniors. The vast majority of people who showed up for the campout looked to be under 20.

"I've known about this for like, two weeks," 17-year-old Marcy Laub said. "I've been planning."

The group of teenagers said that for the most part, their parents were fine with their plans to camp out all night as long as they brought blankets and pillows with them.

A group of boys from West Springfield High School, who learned about the promotion from reading an article on Burke Patch, said the store's proximity to their school appealed to them, as they could come back and grab burgers after football games in the fall. They came prepared for the night with a just-issued yearbook to peruse and talk over.

Other folks in line brought board games and decks of cards. One group of boys huddled around a DVD player showing an old Seinfeld episode.

There were already over 50 people in line at midnight, as the last few in line wrote their names on a list someone had drawn up in a notebook. A few hoping for the burgers for a year deal put their names in after 50 had been reached.

"Maybe they'll give it to us anyways," one boy said. "They can't not give you it, after you've camped out all night."

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries
6230T Rolling Road Springfield, VA, 22152
703-866-5901



When it comes to your “All American Meal,” it’s hard to compete with the burger and fries combo. But it’s hard to find a quality burger and fries meal at your typical fast food establishments. When you do find good burgers or fries, it’s usually at a pricier establishment or they are known for their over the top ingredients.

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries was started in Maryland in 1981 by two brothers that were inspired by the fresh-cut fries they grew up eating on the Boardwalk. To go along with the fresh-cut fries, they added never frozen burgers, hot dogs, and chicken sandwiches. The traditional “Ocean City” way of eating their fries is posted on the wall of the restaurant and is definitely worth a try for fry-lovers:

1. Drizzle fries with apple cider vinegar
2. Sprinkle with Old Bay seasoning
3. Dip fries in ketchup

The chain is still pretty small so finding a Boardwalk location nationwide is still pretty tough. Luckily, Atlanta has one location in Sandy Springs and is getting a second location on Piedmont soon. The open-air kitchen allows patrons to watch their food being prepared so they know it’s fresh. Orders are called back by the cashiers so guests aren’t getting food that has been sitting under a heating lamp. Fries are dropped to order. There’s no drive thru here but it’s honestly better that way. To speed up the process would mean to lessen the quality of the food and quality is what Boardwalk is all about.

Their prices aren’t what you would find at your typical dollar menu, fast food joint but they are cheaper than a sit-down restaurant. Two can dine (and dine well) for less than $20. Boardwalk is a family-friendly restaurant with a gracious staff that seem to genuinely enjoy what they do. The amazing food and the fun atmosphere make dining there a pleasure.

A Maryland restaurant chain best known for its beachfront origins is hoping to make a big splash in the Portland-Vancouver area. Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries has inked a master franchise deal to bring its first 30 outlets to the region, including 10 in Southwest Washington, over the next several years.

Its plans here are part of a major growth push as the company aims to expand from eight U.S. locations to more than 200 within the next five years, according to the Baltimore Business Journal. The company will open 20 to 30 locations nationwide this year, then accelerate its expansion through 2016. Currently, the chain has seven outlets on the East Coast and one in California.

Exact sites of the chain’s local restaurants have not yet been announced.

Its arrival in Clark County will introduce the signature thick-cut, vinegar-soaked French fries that its sister company, Boardwalk Fries, brought from Maryland beach towns to inland food courts and sports stadiums starting in 1981. Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries built on the original chain’s concept, adding sit-down dining and an expanded menu.

Portland-based restaurant developer Lucky Patel said the Columbia, Md., chain is “quick-casual,” not quite fast food, but not full-service, with a beach-themed atmosphere. In addition to its signature peanut oil-cooked fries, menu specialties include burgers and hot dogs.

Patel is an industry veteran who has already developed a number of Baja Fresh Mexican Grill and Subway outlets. In addition to building Boardwalk’s corporate-owned restaurants in the region, he will also offer franchise opportunities throughout his territory.

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries restaurants are typically suited for end-cap retail spaces that are between 1,800 square feet and 2,200 square feet. Most do not include a drive-through window.

Development could spur creation of more than 400 new hospitality jobs

Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries, known for its fresh, made to order hand pattied burgers and fresh cut fries, has finalized a master franchise deal with experienced restaurant developer Lucky Patel for more than 30 new restaurants in Oregon. Patel, a multi-unit restaurant veteran with Baja Fresh Mexican Grill and Subway, will focus his development in the Portland Metropolitan Areaand in Cowlitz County, Washington. Fransmart, the company that helped launch Five Guys Burgers & Fries, is leading the franchise development plans for Boardwalk.

Full development of Patel's Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries restaurants could bring more than 400 new jobs to the region over the next several years.

"The restaurant industry is one of the largest private-sector employers in the United States, employing nearly thirteen million Americans. I've been in the multi-unit restaurant business for more than twelve years and have employed dozens of talented people in my restaurants. I'm eager to move forward with my Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries development, to bring better quality, better tasting burgers and fresh cut fries to the region, and to create jobs in communities hard hit by unemployment," said developer Lucky Patel.

In addition to the development of corporate owned restaurants, Patel will also offer franchise opportunities throughout his development territory. Said Patel, "I will work hard to bring on the right franchisee partners. I plan to focus on ongoing training and support as my keys goals; if our franchisees are successful, then I am successful."

About Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries

Based in Columbia, Maryland, Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries is experiencing unprecedented growth, with stores currently open in Maryland, Virginia, Pennsylvania, Georgia, California and Florida, and over 200 new restaurants in development across the United States. Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries offers quality products to its customers with made to order, hand formed, fresh ground beef burgers and fresh-cut Boardwalk fries cooked in 100% peanut oil, along with other family favorites such as hot dogs, grilled cheese, grilled chicken sandwiches, salads, and veggie burgers. The New York Times ranked Boardwalk Fries on their baseball stadium culinary scorecard, and AOL Small Business listed Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries in their 2009 "Next Big Chain" report.

Paired with its sister company, Boardwalk Fries, Boardwalk Fresh Burgers & Fries has 30 years of brand recognition. Keeping its inspiration of the ocean boardwalk theme, the concept provides a family-friendly atmosphere, and great food at great prices. For more information about Boardwalk please visit www.boardwalkfreshburgersandfries.com.