Slay Burgers’ current location at 22 West Brookland Park Blvd. (Jackie DiBartolomeo photos)
With bigger growth plans in mind, a 2-year-old Northside burger joint is heading out to the suburbs for its second location.
Brookland Park’s Slay Burgers plans to open a new outpost later this year in Chester.
Located at 12519 Route 1, the new 1,600-square-foot restaurant will have all of Slay Burgers’ smashed burger, wings and chicken sandwich options found at the restaurant’s original location at 22 W. Brookland Park Blvd. in the city.
The first Slay Burgers was opened in 2023 by partners Ahmed Maksher and Moe Alradaei. The two previously owned Dean’s BBQ on Mechanicsville Turnpike, but closed that restaurant to work instead on opening a burger restaurant.
The duo were inspired by their love of World of Warcraft in creating the burger joint. Both the Slay Burgers name and menu items are a nod to the video game, with some menu options named after their World of Warcraft friends’ usernames.
Slay Burgers has a range of single, double and triple patty smashed burgers, with options like the “Big Ounce,” topped with bacon, onion rings and BBQ sauce, and the “Fatty” (Maksher’s World of Warcraft username) with cheese, onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard.
The restaurant also has a range of wings and appetizers as well as turkey and chicken burgers. The restaurant’s burgers range from around $8 to $13.
Maksher, who lives in the Chester area, said that even with growth in the Chester area, he’s not seen a burger spot move in that provides hand-rolled, smashed burgers like Slay Burgers. The thought led him to pursuing a spot in the area, hoping to fill what he sees as a burger void.
“I feel like they’re building more and more over there,” Maksher said. “But there’s no burger spot in Chester in that specific area, and I think the vibe, the visuals and the good food would be a good fit for that area.”
Slay Burgers’ new location at 12519 Route 1 in Chester.
The new Chester location will offer a dine-in option, as it is more than double the size of the takeout-only Brookland Park spot. The Chester restaurant will have seven four-seat tables and seven two-seat tables, Maksher said. It will also have custom artwork covering the walls, with both a World of Warcraft and burger theme.
Total costs for the restaurant should be somewhere between $150,000 to $250,000, Maksher said. With prices fluctuating on construction goods, the two are not exactly sure where in that range it will lie, he added.
“We don’t know how much it’s going to cost, but we’re going to get it done,” Maksher said.
Slay Burgers is currently working on final drawings of the space and framing. The hope is to open the doors on the Chester location in the next four or five months, Maksher said.
The Chester location will have around eight employees. The Brookland Park location has around four to six at any given time.
As Maksher and Alradaei look toward opening the doors on the Chester location, they have bigger plans for Slay Burgers in the future. The two also plan to open a third location, hopefully sometime in the next 18 months, Maksher said.
While nothing is set in stone, the duo have been eyeing locations both in Midlothian and on Hull Street, and both in the 2,500-square-foot range. The ultimate goal is to gradually expand with each location’s size, and look at franchising after a third location opens, Maksher said.
A 10-year plan by Maksher and Alradaei has Slay Burgers opening 10 restaurants by 2033, which they are on track for with the Chester location soon to open, Maksher said.
“I think it’s gonna be a huge stepping stone for us toward the future of Slay Burgers,” Maksher said. “One step at a time.”
As Slay Burgers prepares to open in Chester, Maksher said he and Alradaei are excited to show the suburbs what their burgers have to offer.
“To get a real, hand-rolled, smash burger in the area, get ready Chester. That’s all I gotta say,” Maksher said.
A sign for the new Slay Burgers is soon to go up at the Chester location. The location will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 6 p.m., and closed on Mondays.
Slay Burgers joins retailers like Subway and Mattress Firm in its new Chester location.
Slay Burgers’ current location at 22 West Brookland Park Blvd. (Jackie DiBartolomeo photos)
With bigger growth plans in mind, a 2-year-old Northside burger joint is heading out to the suburbs for its second location.
Brookland Park’s Slay Burgers plans to open a new outpost later this year in Chester.
Located at 12519 Route 1, the new 1,600-square-foot restaurant will have all of Slay Burgers’ smashed burger, wings and chicken sandwich options found at the restaurant’s original location at 22 W. Brookland Park Blvd. in the city.
The first Slay Burgers was opened in 2023 by partners Ahmed Maksher and Moe Alradaei. The two previously owned Dean’s BBQ on Mechanicsville Turnpike, but closed that restaurant to work instead on opening a burger restaurant.
The duo were inspired by their love of World of Warcraft in creating the burger joint. Both the Slay Burgers name and menu items are a nod to the video game, with some menu options named after their World of Warcraft friends’ usernames.
Slay Burgers has a range of single, double and triple patty smashed burgers, with options like the “Big Ounce,” topped with bacon, onion rings and BBQ sauce, and the “Fatty” (Maksher’s World of Warcraft username) with cheese, onions, pickles, ketchup and mustard.
The restaurant also has a range of wings and appetizers as well as turkey and chicken burgers. The restaurant’s burgers range from around $8 to $13.
Maksher, who lives in the Chester area, said that even with growth in the Chester area, he’s not seen a burger spot move in that provides hand-rolled, smashed burgers like Slay Burgers. The thought led him to pursuing a spot in the area, hoping to fill what he sees as a burger void.
“I feel like they’re building more and more over there,” Maksher said. “But there’s no burger spot in Chester in that specific area, and I think the vibe, the visuals and the good food would be a good fit for that area.”
Slay Burgers’ new location at 12519 Route 1 in Chester.
The new Chester location will offer a dine-in option, as it is more than double the size of the takeout-only Brookland Park spot. The Chester restaurant will have seven four-seat tables and seven two-seat tables, Maksher said. It will also have custom artwork covering the walls, with both a World of Warcraft and burger theme.
Total costs for the restaurant should be somewhere between $150,000 to $250,000, Maksher said. With prices fluctuating on construction goods, the two are not exactly sure where in that range it will lie, he added.
“We don’t know how much it’s going to cost, but we’re going to get it done,” Maksher said.
Slay Burgers is currently working on final drawings of the space and framing. The hope is to open the doors on the Chester location in the next four or five months, Maksher said.
The Chester location will have around eight employees. The Brookland Park location has around four to six at any given time.
As Maksher and Alradaei look toward opening the doors on the Chester location, they have bigger plans for Slay Burgers in the future. The two also plan to open a third location, hopefully sometime in the next 18 months, Maksher said.
While nothing is set in stone, the duo have been eyeing locations both in Midlothian and on Hull Street, and both in the 2,500-square-foot range. The ultimate goal is to gradually expand with each location’s size, and look at franchising after a third location opens, Maksher said.
A 10-year plan by Maksher and Alradaei has Slay Burgers opening 10 restaurants by 2033, which they are on track for with the Chester location soon to open, Maksher said.
“I think it’s gonna be a huge stepping stone for us toward the future of Slay Burgers,” Maksher said. “One step at a time.”
As Slay Burgers prepares to open in Chester, Maksher said he and Alradaei are excited to show the suburbs what their burgers have to offer.
“To get a real, hand-rolled, smash burger in the area, get ready Chester. That’s all I gotta say,” Maksher said.
A sign for the new Slay Burgers is soon to go up at the Chester location. The location will be open Tuesdays through Saturdays from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. and Sundays from 12 to 6 p.m., and closed on Mondays.
Slay Burgers joins retailers like Subway and Mattress Firm in its new Chester location.
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I’m ready to be SLAYED lol… Welcome. Easier drive for me.
I’m excited! I live 8 mins from that area. I go to the dentist which is right next door to the new Slay Burger.
