Burger 21 eyes Charlotte expansion

Fast-casual hamburger chain Burger 21 is looking to add four Charlotte-area franchises in addition to its Ballantyne location, the company said Wednesday.

The Tampa-based company opened its first local store in Ballantyne Village. The company said in 2012 that it was seeking more local franchisees, but has yet to open more locations.

Here's what the company had to say Wednesday:

"The brand aims to develop four or more new restaurants throughout the Charlotte metro area, as well as additional units across the state. To support this initiative, Burger 21 will be exhibiting at the Franchise Business Opportunities Expo in Charlotte, N.C., May 31 and June 1 at the Metrolina Tradeshow Expo. To date, Burger 21 has 12 open locations, including one location in Charlotte's Ballantyne area, and 20 franchised restaurants in development across the country."

The company was started by the owners of the Melting Pot fondue restaurants. Burger 21 requires franchisees to have a net worth of at least $500,000 and liquid assets of $200,000 per restaurant. Start-up costs are estimated at about $400,000 to $900,000 for each Burger 21.