Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay just moved in around the corner from Trader Joe’s in the Holladay Hills shopping center. Bobby’s location is one of several spots for grabbing a bite after grocery shopping or before catching the latest blockbuster at the Megaplex Luxury Theatres at Cottonwood, located across the street.

A crowd, including Holladay City officials, staff, local business owners and community members, attended the March 27 ribbon-cutting ceremony for Bobby’s Burgers by Bobby Flay marking the official opening of the casual restaurant’s Holladay location.

Holladay Business Advisory Board organized the event under the direction of Economic Development and Housing Manager for the city of Holladay, Ann Francis Garcia.

“It's always exciting when a business chooses to make Holladay their home,” Garcia said. “The city works hard to establish and maintain good relationships with existing and new businesses. My role as Economic Development and Housing Manager for the city of Holladay is creating a strong local economy by making sure our local businesses are resilient, thriving and feel supported. The Holladay Business Advisory Board helps us with this by making a concerted effort to build relationships with our business community and by providing opportunities to connect and network, like this ribbon cutting for Bobby's Burgers. Working with Bobby's team has been great. They were very excited to be a part of Holladay and wanted to engage with us right away.”

Local resident Jeni Bennion and a friend were caught by surprise by the ribbon-cutting grand opening as they had just sat down in the restaurant to enjoy lunch.

“We had no idea the grand opening was today,” Bennion said. “We were looking for a new place to have lunch and decided to try Bobby’s. We’re happy we did. The onion rings are outstanding and the blue bacon burger is simply delicious. I would highly recommend it! The sauces and dips are great too! I love having the choice of picking up and taking it home or sitting and enjoying a meal here. We really love all the options for places to enjoy lunch in Holladay.”  

Holladay City enjoys a balanced mix of small town and big city national chain businesses. Both necessary in maintaining the economic growth of the city. 

“All the restaurants, small business shops, and movie theaters will benefit indirectly from having national chain businesses like Bobby’s Burgers in the area,” said Jason Woodland, a member of the Holladay Business Advisory Board. “The halo effect in business could occur here. When a well-known brand with a large advertising budget moves in, it can encourage people to visit other nearby businesses too. This includes The French Bakehouse and Four Lemons across the street, Magnolia’s next door, and Trader Joe’s around the corner. They will all support each other, helping both small and large businesses succeed.”

The president of Bobby's Burgers, Michael McGill, expressed his thanks for the support of Holladay City and the warm welcome the franchise has received. 

"We’re thrilled to be in Holladay and grateful for everyone who came out this morning for our opening,” McGill said. “Our hope is to become the go-to burger spot where families celebrate and teams gather after games. We’re also looking forward to a visit from chef Bobby Flay in the near future. Bobby’s is an unbeatable burger experience, and we’re happy to bring it to Holladay City.”

Mayor Paul Fotheringham provided the opening remarks during the event and shared his support and excitement of bringing a world class dining experience to the community while maintaining the unique and close-knit character of Holladay City. 

“Bobby Flay is a name synonymous with excellence in culinary innovation,” Fotheringham said. “By selecting Holladay for his newest burger franchise, he is not only opening a restaurant but also investing in our vision of a vibrant, walkable and gathering-oriented community. To the management and staff, welcome to the Holladay community. We are excited to have you join us.”

According to a local press release, this new restaurant is the brand’s second location in the area. Joe Sample, franchise owner and founder of Crave Management Company, opened the first Utah location in Orem in 2024. Strong guest response in Orem led to the decision to expand to Holladay.

“We really appreciate all of you for coming out to celebrate our opening,” Sample said. “What a warm welcome from the Holladay community. This is our second location, and we’re happy to be here in Holladay. I’ve recently relocated to Holladay, and I couldn’t be more thrilled and excited about this little town.”

Bobby’s Burgers offers signature items, such as the Bacon Crunchburger, topped with crispy potato chips and Bobby’s signature sauce. The menu also includes a variety of burgers, fries and spoon-bending shakes that reflect Flay’s recognized culinary style.

“For me, a great burger starts with great ingredients and layers of flavor,” Flay said in a statement. “That philosophy is at the heart of everything we do at Bobby’s Burgers. Our goal is to serve food that people crave and come back for again and again, and we're excited to share that experience with the Holladay community.”

“What a warm welcome from the Holladay community,” Bobby’s Burgers franchise owner Joe Sample said. “We’re happy to be here in Holladay. I’ve recently relocated to Holladay, and I couldn’t be more thrilled and excited about this little town.” (Collette Hayes/City Journals)