Patt Johnson

DesMoines

Zombie Burger + Shake Lab will open its much-anticipated Ankeny location next month.

Owners of the gourmet burger and milkshake shop will next spread the zombie craze to downtown Iowa City and Coral Ridge Mall in Coralville later this summer.

The Ankeny restaurant is scheduled to open May 10 in the Northview Centre II, 1550 N. Ankeny Blvd., Suite 100. It will seat 64 inside and another 52 on the patio.

It is the third location for Zombie Burger. The flagship restaurant, Zombie Burger + Drink Lab, opened four years ago in Des Moines' East Village neighborhood. That restaurant has a quick-service, take-out area on one side, and a full-service dining room with bar on the other side.

Owners Paul Rottenberg, chef George Formaro and Jeremy Reichart opened a second, counter-service only location at the Jordan Creek Town Center mall food court last summer called Zombie Burger + Shake Lab.

The Ankeny restaurant and the planned Iowa City location are hybrids of first two restaurants, Rottenberg said. They'll have quick-counter service like the Jordan Creek store while offering seating similar to the East Village location, he said.

Trademark decor includes fencing, wood planks and zombie posters on the walls.

The 2,400-square-foot Ankeny restaurant will offer traditional Zombie Burger favorites, including the Raygun, They’re Coming To Get You Barbara, Undead Elvis and The Walking Ched. It also will offer appetizers, salads and shakes.

The Iowa City Zombie Burger is expected to open in late August in a new retail and residential building on the southwest corner of Burlington and Dubuque streets. The building is across the street from the Sheraton Iowa City Hotel. That restaurant is 3,300 square feet and will seat 90 inside and 20 on the patio, Rottenberg said. It will offer beer and spiked milkshakes, similar to the Ankeny location.

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The Coralville restaurant is set to open in mid-September in the mall’s food court. It will be similar to the Jordan Creek store.

After those restaurants open, Zombie Burger plans to put expansion plans on hold for a while, Rottenberg said. The owners wanted to test the concept in suburban, downtown and mall settings before expanding again, he said.

The Jordan Creek Zombie Burger, which opened last July, did well enough to prompt the owners to expand to Coral Ridge Mall. The Coralville mall has great potential because, unlike Jordan Creek, there are fewer restaurants near the mall, Rottenberg said.