Tampa's Front Burner banks on burgers

Bob and Mark Johnston of Front Burner Brands Inc. are masters in the art of franchising. The brothers painted North America with more than 140 licensed Melting Pot locations and plan to do the same with a new brand.

The newly christened Front Burner, a Tampa-based restaurant management company formerly known as TGS Restaurant Management, is leveraging success of its Burger 21 prototype into an aggressive franchising strategy expected to yield 30 contracts over the next 12 months.

Front Burner's stature in the restaurant business, reflected in expected restaurant revenues of $250 million this year, will draw reticent franchisees, says CEO Bob Johnston, younger brother of Mark. He tells Coffee Talk there is room for a new burger franchise in the fray. “The demand is there,” he says.