Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries Joins ODU Community
Written By: David Bakhshaee, News Editor
Old Dominion University, will be welcoming the opening of a new “gourmet burger place” on campus. Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries, a trendy chain restaurant located mainly on the East Coast, will be having its grand opening on Wednesday, Nov. 16.
“I’ve had it once before,” said Kyle Pierce, a senior Criminal Justice Major at ODU. “It was amazing, so I expect great things.”
The latest addition to the University Village, Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries will offer salads, grilled chicken, veggie burgers, children’s packs, hot dogs, allergy awareness items, and of course, burgers and fries.
“You’re talking about a non-fast food version of a hamburger,” said Mark Conway, the general manager of Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries. “We’re going to have the whole nine yards.”
With its close proximity to campus, Boardwalk Burgers and Fries will have competition from surrounding eateries, and must stay connected to the student body.
“P-Franks has some competition,” said Jimmy Long, a junior graphic design major at ODU, referring to Perfectly Frank, a burger and hot dog restaurant located in the Village.
“We want to stay tight with ODU,” said Conway. “We’ll have televisions playing, games on, and we will stay open until 3 a.m. on Friday’s and Saturday’s.”
Conway, who is certified by the National Restaurant Association in nutrition, is going to make sure “we are keeping up with everything from gluten allergies, to peanut allergies, to the vegan population.”
Acknowledging that there is a large population of students who are legally able to purchase alcohol, Conway said, “We are going to stay away from liquor. [We have] no plans on a liquor license. We figure, by the time anyone gets here, they’ve had about all the liquor they need to have.”
The new burger joint plans on having a promotion celebrating their grand opening. Boardwalk Burgers and Fries will be hosting a “Free burger day” on Tuesday, Nov. 15. Students and residents of the local area can receive a free burger from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m., and 3 p.m. to 7 p.m.
The grand opening event, very much similar to the opening of Einstein Bros. Bagel’s in the new Learning Commons, will offer free burgers for a year for the first 30 to 50 people in line.
Aside from taking normal cash, debit, and credit payments, Boardwalk Burgers will also be accepting Monarch Plus.
While many students crave new dining locations on and around campus, Boardwalk Fresh Burgers and Fries are setting out to fill that void. “It’s always good to get more varieties of food in the village,” said Ryan Ramming, a senior studying Economics.
Photo By Kyle White
