Burger 21, a new better burger franchise founded by the owners of The Melting Pot^® Restaurants, Inc., announced it has expanded the brand to Georgia andNorth Carolina with the opening of its first Metro Atlanta restaurant today followed by a new location inCharlotte, N.C., on Aug. 5. These openings mark the concept's eighth and ninth open restaurants in addition to its 16 franchised locations in development along the East Coast.

"The expansion into two new states marks a major milestone for Burger 21 as we strive to introduce the Atlanta and Charlotte markets to our diverse menu of crafted burgers and hand-dipped shakes," said Mark Johnston, Burger 21 president and chief concept officer of Front Burner Brands, management company for Burger 21. "We see these cities as key markets for expansion over the next few years, aiming to develop 15-20 units in Atlanta and an additional 10 in Charlotte through franchise opportunities."

The new Metro Atlanta restaurant is located at 3385 Woodward Crossing Blvd., Suite 350, in Bufordand is owned and operated by husband-and-wife team Corley and Meg Steward who plan to open a second location in the North Alpharetta area in 2014. The Charlotte location will open Aug. 5 in Ballantyne Village at 14825 Ballantyne Village Way. In addition to offering guests a variety of burgers like the Tex-Mex Haystack, Spicy Thai Shrimp, Black Bean and Chicken Marsala, both locations will have craft beer and wine by the glass.

Burger 21 recently was named one of Fast Casual's Top 100 "Movers and Shakers" of 2013. The concept ranked No. 22 based on its variety of innovative recipes and recent expansion. In addition, the franchise's latest gluten-free menu received the No. 1 ranking for the "Top 10 Menu Innovations," and Mark Johnston was recognized as one of the "Top 20 People" for his strategic leadership in the growth and development of the brand.

Since launching its aggressive growth plan in fall 2011, Burger 21 has signed franchise agreements with 11 different entities in eight states to develop a total of 21 franchised units in cities along the East Coast from New York to Florida.