Bizzy new burger joint from Dallas F&B mastermind will be unlike any other

There's an exciting new burger in the works, from acclaimed Dallas restaurant mastermind Mark Brezinski. Called Bizzy, AKA Bizzy Burgers, AKA Bizzy Burger Merchants, it's a new concept that will embrace the "better burger" trend but in a fast-food setting.

It will make its debut in North Dallas on Montfort Drive, across from the old Valley View Mall and not unfittingly, right between a McDonald's and a Burger King.

UPDATE 11-25-2022: Bizzy Burger opens November 25.

Brezinski, who has played instrumental roles in success stories such as Pei Wei and Velvet Taco, is entering the burger arena for the first time with an entirely original approach, one that employs some chef-caliber menu innovations not previously seen.

To help him execute his vision, he's recruited two big restaurant-industry names: Larry Lavine, founder of the Chili's chain, and John Franke, former corporate chef for Frontburner Concepts (now FB Society).

"I'm aiming at a better QSR model — quick-serve restaurant like a McDonald's or Wendy's, with premium burgers but at an affordable price," he says.

Bizzy will have uniquely gourmet elements on the menu, but probably the biggest distinction is that it will feature smaller patties a la White Castle, the Ohio-based chain known for its petite burgers, eschewing the trend towards gargantuan-sized burgers in favor of the idea that, if you're still hungry, you can order two.

The White Castle connection is what inspired Brezinski, whose greatest hits have resided primarily in Asian and Indian cuisines, to get into the otherwise crowded burger field.

"I never wanted to do burgers — I thought it was too easy," he says. "But I always wanted to do a White Castle-like product. I grew up on White Castle. That was my first real food obsession. When I think about burgers, it’s the White Castle cheeseburger I had when I was a kid. We'd go to the drive-thru and get big sacks of burgers. There were five kids in my family. When we got home, it would be a scramble, and we'd have to keep our doled-out boxes in front of us so that we each got our share. This was family eating."

Bizzy came up after Brezinski ended his tenure at Margume Udon, the buzzy Japanese noodle chain he helped introduce into the U.S. in 2020.

"I realized I'd never done a QSR-style concept," he says. "But I want to do a better QSR. Bizzy is not trying to be the next Hopdoddy or Liberty Burger. It's a better version of White Castle. It takes into account that same craving, but elevates the culinary side."

Thus, Bizzy's burgers will be made from HeartBrand Premium Akaushi Beef, from Harwood, Texas. Burger buns will be sourced exclusively from cult favorite King's Hawaiian, known for their irresistibly fluffy texture and sweet taste.

Sizes include a single Bizzy (called a Kinda Bizzy), a double Bizzy (called a Very Bizzy), and a triple (called an Extremely Bizzy) and will be comparable to McDonald's quarter pounder or Burger King's Whopper.

Price range is still TBD but the ideal is that you can get a double cheeseburger, a side, and fountain drink for $10-11.

"That's definitely our goal – this isn’t going to be a 'boutique' burger spot and it's my intention to be all inclusive of anyone wanting a great burger fix," Brezinski says.

Now seems like the right time to introduce a new word: "blendz" — Bizzy's house-made gourmet toppings for the burgers, featuring profoundly concentrated flavors.

"Blendz are purees of great ingredients that we'll use as toppings," he says. "We'll roast things like wild mushrooms and bell peppers until they get a nice char, then puree them. When you order your burger, you get this dollop of intense flavor."

Blendz options include:

• roasted wild mushroom blend
• charred hot and sweet pepper blend
• roasted onion and garlic
• blistered tomato and fresh herbs
• Korean BBQ "thick sauce" blend — "gotta keep my Asian influence alive and well!" Brezinski says.

They'll have a vegetarian option but like everything else at Bizzy, it won't be your typical veggie burger offering. Instead it will be a layered "veggie stack" with thinly sliced, roasted seasonal veggies with mushrooms, peppers, spinach, yellow squash, grilled radicchio, maybe eggplant — beautiful to look at, delicious to eat.

Fries will be innovative, as well. "We're doing 'tater tot fries' formed into a plank, more like a steak fry, but with a tot-like mixture," he says. "We're also doing a house-made kimchi, featuring 21 wonderful and authentic ingredients."

Beverages will include alcoholic drinks including a frozen bloody mary and a non-alcoholic frozen chai tea. OMG.

One thing they won't have: lettuce.

"We won’t have anything cold," he says. "No lettuce, no sliced tomato, no raw onion, no avocado, nothing to change the temperature of the burger. Our policy is going to be 'BYOL' — bring your own lettuce if you want it — because we ain't gonna have it."

Bizzy will have a convenient pick-up window and side entrance for third party and takeaway orders. They just signed the lease and are hoping to open in late summer, early fall.

No surprise, this is likely to be the first of many, or at least more. "We have investors looking at this to be the springboard of more Bizzy's to come," Brezinski says.