Bronze Burger has traded its parking-lot roots for a permanent address, opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant at 138 Broadway Street in downtown Chico after roughly seven months running as a food truck off Nord Avenue. Owner Rami Kasem marked the occasion by giving away more than 100 burgers during the grand opening celebration on Broadway.
Kasem told Action News Now that Bronze Burger specializes in smash burgers, drinks, milkshakes and moose desserts, alongside a variety of fries. The linked Facebook video concerns Andy's Burgers at 4616 Riverside Drive in Chino, not Bronze Burger.
The new storefront was previously home to Ali Baba, a Syrian and Middle Eastern restaurant, according to the Ali Baba website. It's a bit of downtown musical chairs, with Ali Baba having previously occupied the Broadway location Bronze Burger now occupies.
A Familiar Path From Truck to Storefront
Making the jump from mobile vendor to permanent kitchen isn't simple in Butte County. Mobile food preparation facilities are required to obtain California Department of Housing and Community Development modular certification to meet health standards, per Butte County Public Health. Kasem said he personally selects the best ingredients for the restaurant, and that the community reception since opening has been excellent so far.
The restaurant has also been staffing up for its new location. Job postings for the Broadway Street spot indicated Bronze Burger hired full-time grill cooks specializing in smash burger preparation at a starting wage of $17.00 per hour, according to a listing tracked on Indeed.
Stepping Into a Crowded Burger Scene
Madison Bear Garden is a Chico restaurant that mentions burgers.
The 138 Broadway Street address sits in downtown Chico. A Thursday Night Market preview is also listed in a Downtown Chico directory.
Timing the Opening With Student Return and Downtown Changes
In January, Chico State and local business groups hosted urban planning discussions with Strong Towns regarding the Downtown Revitalization Project.
The restaurant is open Sunday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday and Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Kasem said he hopes support continues at the new Broadway location.
