Zombie Burger heads to Ankeny

Zombie (Burger) alert: The popular ghoul-themed gourmet burger restaurant Zombie Burger is heading to Ankeny.

Owners plan to open a counter-service eatery on the growing north side of Ankeny.

And a Zombie Burger march beyond the metro also is on the drawing board. Restaurant owners are eyeing Iowa City and Omaha for additional locations.

The Ankeny restaurant, which will be in the Northview Centre II at 1550 N. Ankeny Blvd., will seat 60 people inside and another 40 on the seasonal patio. Plans are to open the eatery no later than early May, said Paul Rottenberg, who owns the Zombie Burger franchise with Chef George Formaro and Jeremy Reichart. The three also operate Orchestrate Hospitality, which manages the Zombie Burgers, along with other Des Moines eateries Centro, D'jango, Malo, South Union Bakery, South Union Bread Cafe, and gourmet grocery store and cafe Gateway Market.

This is the third location for Zombie Burger. Its flagship restaurant, Zombie Burger + Drink Lab opened four years ago in the East Village neighborhood in downtown Des Moines. That restaurant has a quick-service, take-out area on one side, and a full-service dining room with bar on the other. In July, Orchestrate took the concept to Jordan Creek Town Center Mall in West Des Moines where Zombie Burger + Shake Lab opened in the food court, which has been a great success, Rottenberg said.

The Ankeny restaurant is a hybrid of the two, Rottenberg said. It keeps the quick-service aspect of the Jordan Creek store, while offering seating similar to the East Village location, he said. The East Village store offers table service, which Ankeny will not, Rottenberg said.

“We wanted to keep the emotional uniqueness of the East Village store,” which provides a draw to downtown, he said. The inside of the Ankeny store will mimic the other locations. "We will take the interior fabric of the East Village restaurant and see how we can apply those finishes and materials to Ankeny," he said. Trademark decor includes fencing, wood planks and zombie posters on the walls.

The 2,400-square-foot Ankeny restaurant will offer the traditional Zombie Burger favorites, including “Raygun,” “They’re Coming To Get You Barbara,” “Undead Elvis” and “The Walking Ched.” It will also offer appetizers, salads and shakes. Rottenberg said they are working with the city of Ankeny to get a variance to be able to serve beer and shakes spiked with liquor, he said.

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Chris Murray, president of Denny Elwell Co., the building’s owner, said it will occupy the end spot in a retail center that also houses Which Wich sandwiches and Sport Clips. “Zombie Burger is a unique concept that has an active and large following,” he said. “They have had great success in downtown Des Moines and at Jordan Creek Town Center. It’s a fun place to go.”

Rottenberg said the Ankeny location puts Zombie Burger near a growing residential area that also is close to Ankeny schools and a sports complex. Zombie Burger has become popular with teens, tourists and horror movie fans at its other locations and also will appeal to families in Ankeny, Rottenberg said.

The company is developing plans to open stores in Iowa City and Omaha, although exact locations are still being decided. Additional Zombie Burgers will be the quick-serve models, Rottenberg said.

“Iowa City will be a good test of a university town and Omaha is farther outside our sphere where we aren’t known and where we can test the concept,” he said. Those stores could be open mid to late summer, he said.