Manager Jake Holmes is working on getting an answer to where the name “Beef-A-Roo” came from.
Holmes imagines that maybe the founding family brainstormed a bunch of different ideas, or maybe threw darts at a wall with recommendations.
“The marketing team and I discussed it the other day, because we have had people ask us, and we don’t have a clear answer on the root of where that came from,” Holmes said. “We’ve passed the baton to them, with people (at Beef-A-Roo corporate headquarters) who have been with the company since the ‘70s.”
Holmes and his staff are ready to open up the second Beef-A-Roo location in Springfield Friday. Located at 3312 E. Chestnut Expressway, the restaurant will feature a lineup of made-to-order burgers, roast beef sandwiches, salad and soups in a fast-casual setting.
The restaurant will hold its grand opening Friday, starting at 10 a.m.. The first 100 customers will get a “golden ticket” redeemable for a year’s worth of free cheese fries, one of the eatery’s signature items.
Preparing for a crowd
Staff members are expecting a crowd Friday, based on a previous, record-breaking opening for the Kearney Beef-A-Roo location. Holmes manages both of the Springfield restaurants, and said Kearney’s opening in February holds the company record for biggest opening day.
“Kearney blew us out of the water,” Holmes said. “Springfield showed out for us in full force. (Chestnut) is our second location, so it may not be as big, but we anticipate a big crowd.”
The restaurant occupies space that formerly housed a Hardee’s. The location isn’t as commercial as the Kearney location, which is neighbored by several other restaurants — only a McDonald’s is nearby on Chestnut Expressway.
In addition to traffic from nearby U.S. Highway 65, restaurant staffers expect to see people who are also going to Menards and Costco. They also anticipate plenty of traffic from nearby offices, warehouses and other workplaces — Holmes said that Ingram Mill Road, the street that separates Beef-A-Roo from an often-busy McDonald’s, is fairly busy with traffic.
“We see a ton of traffic through this area,” Holmes said. “That McDonald’s stays busy. People are telling us they are happy there will be another option here.”
Accelerated growth plan
Like other fast-casual restaurant chains, Beef-A-Roo made Springfield part of a plan for rapid growth. The chain is expanding across the Midwest and Southeast and hopes to have 50 restaurants built over the next three to five years, according to a report from QSR Magazine.
Founded in 1967 in Rockford, Illinois, the restaurant is the creation of Dave Debruler and Jean Vitale. After decades of operation, they sold the business to their children. The franchising rights were acquired in 2021 by Next Brands and Development. The restaurants feature design elements intended to resemble a Midwestern home from the ‘50s.
Still owned by family members, Holmes said the chain puts an emphasis on hospitality.
“That’s something they don’t want to lose,” Holmes said. “It’s a family-owned company, even as it expands.”
