Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar to join University Town Center

A wine and burger bar concept will be the seventh restaurant to open inside the Mall at University Town Center.

Building permits filed with Sarasota County this week shows that the restaurant chain plans to open its third store in Florida at the $315 million mall under construction at University Parkway and Interstate 75. The Phoenix-based chain operates about 10 stores across the country, including two which are in development in South Florida.

The Florida locations are owned and operated by Briad Group, one of the countrys largest franchisees of brands like TGIFridays, Hilton, Marriot and Wendys. Briad Group has a licensing agreement with Fox Restaurant Concepts, the creator of the restaurant brand, to open franchise locations in the U.S. east of the Mississippi, said Tom Beyer, spokesman for ZinBurger.

ZinBurger locations are usually in upscale malls or around larger retail centers, Beyer said. The South Florida locations will open inside Sawgrass Mills in Sunrise, one of the nations largest outlet shopping destinations by square foot, and the Boca Town Center Mall in Palm Beach County.

The chain has been expanding aggressively in the southeastern region, and plans to open an additional store in Atlanta this year, Beyer said.

Zinburger's menu features a full bar with cocktails, 18 wines by the glass and 17 local craft beer selections. The chain's classic "Zinburger" comes with manchego cheese and zinfandel braised onions. The menu boasts handmade milkshakes, salads and other entrees.

To see a slideshow of mall tenants, click here.

Zinburger will join several other chain restaurants that have committed to opening inside the 880,000-square-foot Mall at University Town Center, like Capital Grille, Brio Tuscan Grille, the Cheesecake Factory, Kona Grill and Seasons 52.

Other tenants include Apple, Athropologie, Brooks Brothers and more than 100 others. More than half the malls tenant mix will be new to the region, mall officials say. The Mall at University Town Center will be anchored by Macys, Saks Fifth Avenue and Dillards.

For more shopping news in Southwest Florida, follow reporter Justine Griffin on Twitter and Facebook or email her at justine.griffin@heraldtribune.com. Read Whats In Store in print on Tuesdays.

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Zinburger Wine & Burger Bar to join University Town Center