It takes 111 recycled Coke bottles to make one chair for BurgerFi, an eco-friendly, fast-casual restaurant chain that plans to open its first location in Tampa by August or September. With more than 60 locations across the country, the chain has used about 43,920 bottles so far.
In coming months, at the corner of Howard and Swann avenues, BurgerFi will sit alongside Ava — the Italian restaurant conceived from a partnership between 717 South owner Michael Stewart and Tampa Bay Rays manager Joe Maddon — in the Post SoHo Square apartment complex.
Like Burger Monger and other chain eateries serving up the all-American favorite around the region, BurgerFi has a signature sandwich as well as quirky creations, including a brisket burger and a breakfast burger with fried egg and maple syrup.
Although its menu includes standard, no-frills fare, such as fries and frozen custards, BurgerFi recycles the oil, cardboard, bottles and cans it uses, which, along with Evos, sets it apart from the rest.
BurgerFi also fashions its tables from recycled pine and milk jugs, while specialized ceiling fans around the restaurant save more than two-thirds the energy that traditional fans use. High-efficiency hand dryers that consume 80 percent less energy are installed in the restrooms.
Construction for the burger joint won’t begin until June, and Stewart said Ava is set to open Aug. 1.
