Free cheese fries for a year? Johnson County fast-casual restaurant opening days away
Fast-casual restaurant Beef-A-Roo opens in Overland Park Wednesday, the chain’s first location in the Kansas City area.
The restaurant will celebrate its grand opening a few days later on June 16, when its first 100 customers will be given the “golden ticket,” which equates to free cheese fries for a year.
The Illinois-based chain — serving roast beef sandwiches, hamburgers and wraps — is moving into the former site of a Zaxby’s at 9500 W. 135th St.
Chief Operating Officer Matt Riddle said Beef-A-Roo has been a staple in the Rockford, Illinois, area for decades. Now he’s spreading love for the restaurant’s golden cheddar fries across the country.
“We want to take this product that is very niche and popular … and bring it to everybody else,” Riddle said.
Founded in 1967, Beef-A-Roo didn’t start expanding out of state until just this year, when it opened in Springfield, Missouri.
Beef-A-Roo is now eyeing other spots in the Kansas City area, Riddle said. The company hopes to have 16 stores open by the end of the year, doubling in size.
Each restaurant hopes to provide a familial atmosphere, Riddle said, hiring the friendliest staff and serving the highest quality meals possible.
“It’s a really good menu — the burgers or five ounce fresh, never frozen patties,” he said. “We keep them a little thicker so that they’re nice and juicy.”
Beef-A-Roo will be open 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. seven days a week.