Franchisee rescues desolate Bojangle's building

Kevin Rolf of Ozark Restaurant Group Inc., the area’s territorial franchisee for Back Yard Burgers, is leasing the former Bojangle’s building at 1008 E. Battlefield Road for an undisclosed price. Bojangle’s closed after a short stint late last year.

Rolf expects to open the restaurant near the end of September.

Though it will be the first Springfield Back Yard Burgers for Rolf, it will be the city’s second. The other is at 4020 S. Campbell Ave., slightly more than two miles away. That location is owned by another franchisee whose territory is limited to one mile.

Rolf said he isn’t concerned about competition with the other restaurant and instead favors market penetration and the collective advertising between the two.

“I think it’s two different markets,” he said. “We feel that (together) we’ll be able to do more advertising and get more exposure, and we hope whatever it takes away from that store, the increased advertising would make up for that.”

Rolf also said the long list of other restaurants already located on that stretch of Battlefield near Battlefield Marketplace isn’t a problem, either, as his restaurant offers fast-casual dining and is located in an accessible area with plenty of parking.

Renovation of the 4,400-square-foot Battlefield building has been minimal, Rolf said, since it already has the shell of a restaurant. About $550,000 has been invested in its development, including $250,000 for new equipment.

The Springfield restaurant will seat about 110 people, with 20 seats on an outdoor patio.

Rolf’s franchising group operates Back Yard Burgers locations in Ozark, Nixa and Joplin, and a Branson location is set to open in a former Burger King building on Highway 76 next spring.

The group opened a Back Yard Burgers in Rogers, Ark., earlier this year.

There also are plans to open one or two more Springfield locations in the future, Rolf said.

“Springfield is definitely a restaurant town,” he said.

This story originally appeared in SBJ’s Aug. 17 free e-news Daily Update. Click here to register.