Santa Monica burger lovers get a new fast-casual food option this week.
The Habit Burger Grill will open its doors to Santa Monicans this Wednesday, February 27 at 3001 Wilshire Boulevard. The 2,000-square-foot restaurant will seat 43 people inside and an additional 16 in their patio section. The restaurant will be open every day, 10:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
While the store has had a fundraising event and soft opening thus far, Wednesday will mark the store’s official opening.
Greg Sambrano, Director of Operations for The Habit Burger Grill said Santa Monica was a perfect city for a Habit location.
“It’s a wonderful city that does a lot to upgrade its food offerings,” he said. “We’ve been looking into the area. It’s a pocket of an area we’re not in and we want to give people an opportunity to frequent The Habit.”
The Habit, for those unfamiliar, is a fast casual burger restaurant. They make fresh, made-to-order chargrilled burgers and sandwiches over an open flame. The company has over 350 locations in the United States and four international branches.
Sambrano says he believes that in a city with high restaurant turnover and abundant burger choices, Habit will survive due to location and the franchise’s high standards.
“It’s paid off everywhere else for us,” he said. “Our dedication to quality, treating every burger as important as possible and our hospitality is what sets us apart.”
The Habit has already begun to ingratiate itself with the community, holding a fundraising event on Sunday, February 24 in support of Santa Monica High School. 100% of the proceeds raised that day went to the school.
He said the location will continue to support the community long term once they get everything running smoothly. “There are a lot of options available but we want to ingrain ourselves first, we will look to do fundraiser nights,” he said.
Sambrano says Habit will continue to seek community partnerships and fundraising opportunities, adding he hopes the city supports the restaurant, too.
“We hope people will come in and give us a chance to fulfill our mission, to be everyone’s favorite burger. We want to start a new Habit with you.”
The Habit is one of several restaurants to open in the building. Mediterranean eatery Luna Grill and sandwich shop Jimmy John’s will be part of the development. Italian restaurant La Scala will relocate to the Wilshire location as the fourth tenant. The Habit, Luna Grill and La Scala will take the place of SOUTH sports bar, while Jimmy Johns will open in the former location of Subway.
More information is available at www.habitburger.com.
angel@smdp.com
