1851

When franchise development director Charlie Guzzetta started working with <a href="https://burgerfi.com/franchise/?utm_source=1851franchise.com&utm_medium=article&utm_campaign=franchise-development-leaders-graham-buckley-and-charlie-guzzetta-franchise-development-directors-at-burgerfi-2707844" target="_blank" rel="nofollow" style="text-decoration-line:none" target="_blank">BurgerFi</a> five years ago, the chef-driven better-burger concept had opened 30 locations since its founding in South Florida in 2011. After the brand launched its franchise opportunity in 2012, Guzzetta started working with Graham Buckley, another BurgerFi franchise development director, to help the brand continue expanding.

&ldquo;In order to spur growth, we knew we needed to take a calculated and methodical approach to franchising,&rdquo; Buckley said. &ldquo;Instead of reaching out to whoever had a few dollars in their pockets, we decided to seek ambitious people with restaurant experience in ideal territories where we knew our brand would be successful.&rdquo;

That strategy worked. After gaining traction in Florida and carefully expanding throughout the Southeast, the brand began introducing the franchise to new markets across the U.S. Now, the brand has more than 100 locations open across the United States.

Founded at a time when a consumer demand for high-quality, sustainably sourced food, fresh ingredients and transparency was on the rise, BurgerFi was able to capitalize on calls for better burgers while many established chains were slow to respond.

&ldquo;Founding BurgerFi in 2011 and offering the franchise opportunity in 2012 gave us a real advantage because we were the first better-burger concept to start with a clean slate,&rdquo; Guzzetta said. &ldquo;Trends toward healthy eating, transparency and quality were just taking off, and we had an empty canvas and the ability to work from scratch to design our unique concept centered around fresh, quality food and sustainability. We looked at the burger chains that were already out there and figured out how to be different and how to be better.&rdquo;

According to Guzzetta, the company&rsquo;s obsessive focus on quality plays a major role in attracting both customers and franchisees. The restaurant&rsquo;s beef is part of the Never, Ever program, which means it is never exposed to steroids, antibiotics, growth hormones, chemicals or additives, and all of its food, including fries made from Idaho potatoes and hand-battered onion rings, is prepared fresh and in-house daily.

&ldquo;The biggest contributor to our growth has been the star of the show: our food,&rdquo; Guzzetta said. &ldquo;Most of our prospective franchisees come to us after eating at our restaurants. They see that we understand that even though people are more health-conscious, they still enjoy comfort food like burgers and fries. They just want it in a fresh, natural and sustainable way.&rdquo;

In addition to the food, prospective franchisees are also impressed with the top-of-the-line technology and resources BurgerFi offers its franchisees along with its future-oriented thinking. &nbsp;

&ldquo;As franchisees look to partner with new concepts, they are looking at who is here to stay, who is ahead of the curve and who has an eye for the future,&rdquo; Buckley said. &ldquo;We were the first national burger concept to launch the Beyond Burger, which is a plant-based burger that looks, tastes and cooks like beef because we saw that vegetarian and vegan diets were becoming more popular. From a technology standpoint, everyone is just now partnering with third party delivery providers, but we have had a delivery scheme in place for years. When it comes to new developments, we are not taking our foot off the pedal and we will continue to push the envelope.&rdquo;

Along with growing its presence in states such as Florida, Georgia and Texas, BurgerFi is looking to expand across the East Coast, including the D.C. metro area, Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina, Maryland and New York. With 10 new stores opening before the end of 2018 and 25 to 35 projected to open in 2019, BurgerFi is well on its way to accomplishing its expansion goals. 

&ldquo;We are focused on contiguous development and smart clustering,&rdquo; Buckley said. &ldquo;We want to build stores in markets that we know will work for BurgerFi based on previous experience. In markets where we have a presence, we are taking advantage of brand recognition. In new markets, we are looking for dedicated and sophisticated operators with restaurant experience who are committed to growing the business and the brand.&rdquo;

Franchise Development Leaders: Graham Buckley and Charlie Guzzetta, Franchise Development Directors at BurgerFi

1851 Franchise

Using a methodical approach to expansion, Guzzetta and Buckley have helped BurgerFi grow to more than 100 locations.

This brand page has been paid for by 1851. Content within this page that is paid will showcase a Sponsored icon. This means the brand has engaged 1851 FRANCHISE to write the content. Content without the Sponsored Icon is aggregated media placements the brand earned. Questions can be sent to editorial@1851franchise.com

franchise-development-leaders-graham-buckley-and-charlie-guzzetta-franchise-development-directors-at-burgerfi

Comfort Keepers

Comfort Keepers - Midyear Press Release 2025 - 1851 Franchise

Comfort Keepers® Hits Mid-Year Stride With Strong Franchise Growth and Rising Demand for In-Home Care

comfort-keepers-franchise-midyear-momentum-2025

petbar

petbar - Garrett Dewan - Why I'm Investing - 1851 Franchise

Why Garrett Dewan Is Choosing To Reinvest in petbar

petbar-franchise-austin-garrett-dewan-multi-unit

Paris Baguette

NJBIZ: Paris Baguette Ramps Up Expansion With New Franchises, Facility and 2030 Growth Target

njbiz-paris-baguette-ramps-up-expansion-with-new-franchises-facility-and-2030-growth-target

Busy Bee Jumpers

Top 10 Reasons To Buy a Busy Bee Jumpers Franchise in 2025

top-10-reasons-to-buy-a-busy-bee-jumpers-franchise-in-2025

Home Halo

home-halo-former-athletes-frachisees-image

Why Former College Athletes Can Make Winning Home Halo Franchise Owners

former-college-athletes-home-halo-franchise

Buying a Franchise Masterclass

 Franchise Opportunities

Get Support Buying a Franchise

How to Buy a Franchise White Paper

How to Buy a Franchise

How to Sell Franchises

How to Grow a Franchise

Find a Franchise Supplier

1851 Franchise Opportunities

Franchisor News

Franchisor Power Rankings

FranCamp Mastermind Summit

Franchise Development Website Builder

Franchise Resources

What ALEC-Laffer's Report Means for Franchising

Website Awards

Power Rankings

About 1851

Advertise on 1851

Contact 1851 Editorial

Terms of Use

1851 Login

GROWTH CLUB LOGIN

facebook

instagram

twitter

linkedin

youtube

Wendy's CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down - Breaking News - 1851 Franchise

Wendy’s CEO Kirk Tanner Steps Down Amid Challenges, Leaving Franchisees Facing Uncertainty

wendys-ceo-transition-kirk-tanner-franchisee-uncertainty

"Come in, We're OPEN" sign against abstract background

Small Business Optimism Dips, Raising Concerns for Franchise Owners

small-business-optimism-dips-raising-concerns-for-franchise-owners

Photo of Roof Scientist truck and trailer

Roof Scientist Expands Into Northern Indianapolis as Entrepreneur Dale Speckman Launches New Business in Fishers

roof-scientist-expands-into-northern-indianapolis

Image of Donald Trump pointing with red stripes in the background

August 1 Tariff Deadline Is Said to Have ‘No Extensions’: What This Could Mean for Franchises

august-1-tariff-deadline-franchise-impact

What June’s Jobs Report Means for the Franchise Industry

what-junes-jobs-report-means-for-the-franchise-industry

The Ultimate Guide to Selling Franchises: How To Create a Strong Incentive

how-to-build-strong-incentives-to-attract-prospective-franchisees

How Franchise Brands Can Prepare for the Rise of AI-Driven Advertising

how-franchise-brands-can-prepare-for-the-rise-of-ai-driven-advertising

Coffee & Analytics graphic with photo of Nick Powills

Franchise Growth Is Messy. Lead Gen Is Uncomfortable. Let’s Fix It.

franchise-lead-generation-insights

Top 25 Franchise Marketing Leaders: Kelsey McManemin — Vice President of Marketing, HTeaO

top-25-franchise-marketing-leaders-kelsey-mcmanemin-vice-president-of-marketing-hteao

Kansas Couple Revitalizes Local Childcare With Children’s Lighthouse

From Corporate Careers to Community Roots: Kansas Couple Revitalizes Local Childcare With Children’s Lighthouse

kansas-couple-opens-childrens-lighthouse-gardner-olathe

From Prescriptions to Pastries: Kari Khandelwal Creates a Comforting Community Bakery 

From Prescriptions to Pastries: Kari Khandelwal Creates a Comforting Community Bakery in Overland Park, Kansas

paris-baguette-franchise-overland-park-khandelwal

Hooters Leans Into Franchising With Closure of 30 Company-Owned Stores - Agg - 1851 Franchise

Franchise Development Leaders: Graham Buckley and Charlie Guzzetta, Franchise Development Directors at BurgerFi

MORE STORIES LIKE THIS