EVERETT — The restaurant business is tough even in the best of times.
But a tough economy didn’t deter Jon Rickert and his partners from opening up a new Bob’s Burgers and Brew restaurant in Everett in mid-October.
“There are some advantages in terms of the economy,” Rickert said.
Rickert was able to get a good deal on two acres of property on Everett Mall Way, paying $1.2 million for the slice of land between TOP Food &Drug and the roadway. And small-business loan rates are low for those who qualify.
“We just thought this was a really good spot,” Rickert said.
The location gets three times as much traffic going by as the Bob’s Burger and Brew location at Tulalip, Rickert said. He and his partners own the franchise rights for Bob’s in Skagit and Snohomish counties. They also have the Bob’s site in Burlington.
Bob Kildall founded Bob’s Burgers and Brew more than 30 years ago. Although the Kildall family operates many of the Bob’s locations in Whatcom County, they’ve struck franchise agreements for other areas, including two locations in Eastern Washington.
Despite the Tulalip location, customers of the newly opened Everett site aren’t necessarily familiar with the Bob’s Burgers and Brew name, Rickert said.
“In Skagit and Whatcom counties, the Bob’s name really means something,” he added.
But Rickert is hoping to win people over with good food and service. The menu at the Everett location is the same as the other sites, with burgers and chicken as the restaurant’s speciality items. However, salads have become a big draw as consumers try to look for healthier choices on the menu, Rickert said.
“A lot of people don’t think of us as a breakfast place,” Rickert said. But the restaurant opens at 6:30 a.m., and offers a Sunday brunch starting at 9 a.m.
Over the years, Rickert said that he’s learned that customer service is just as important as the meal.
“It’s really what brings people back,” he said.
The 6,500-square-foot restaurant seats up to 250 people and features a sports bar-themed lounge. The lot has plenty of parking, which is a requirement for opening a Bob’s Burgers and Brew restaurant, Rickert said. The Everett Bob’s employs 125 people in both full- and part-time positions.
Rickert had been looking at spots in Snohomish County when he heard the land on Everett Mall Way was for sale.
“It was a risk,” he said of opening a restaurant in this economy, but “we’re going to make the most of it.”
Depending on how business is in Everett, Rickert is looking to open another Bob’s location in Snohomish County in the next few years.
Bob’s Burgers and Brew
1611 SE Everett Mall Way, Everett
425-290-8308
6:30 a.m. to 11 p.m.
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