West Coast Burger Chain Is Expanding to Tampa In Late 2022

No. Sorry. It's probably not that one you're thinking of. Channel 8 reports that a new burger chain to Tampa Bay by the end of the year. Word is Fatburger is going to make its Florida debut in 2022. The chain has been around for about 70 years. The closest locations to us now are in Louisiana and Arkansas. But four Tampa area locations are planned to open over the next 3 years.

Burgers at Fatburger are made to order and can be personalized with things like bacon, eggs, chili and onion rings on a toasted "sponge-dough bun." They have an Impossible burger or you can get the "Skinnyburger" that is bun-less. Milkshake flavors include the Maui-banana, Chocolate, Strawberry, Vanilla and Oreo Cookies and Cream. Sides include onion rings and a few different french fry styles, including sweet potato fries.

For those hoping this was an announcement about In-N-Out coming to Florida, sorry. In-N-Out has a very limited reach because of its distribution centers. They don’t freeze their burger patties so their restaurants can only be so far away from a distribution location. Tampa (and the rest of Florida for that matter) is far outside of that radius. Florida politicians tried to grab some headlines by reaching out to the burger chain a while back, hoping to entice them. But if you want one of those double double animal style burgers, you’re going to have to visit California, Nevada, Utah, Colorado or Oregon. The chain has always been less concerned with profit and expansion. Instead they have always wanted to make sure the quality and consistency of their food is maintained. So that’s why they only operate in certain states, according to Readers Digest. [Source: Channel 8]

Finally! All of you over on the Hillsborough side have had Portillo's hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, cheese fries and chocolate cake shakes all to yourself. Now St. Pete has its own Portillo's. Opening in just a few days at the corner of 66th and Tyrone Boulevard, the new location has a retro vibe with some Florida palm tree flavor mixed in. Take a look inside - we got invited to take a peek!