The ink has barely dried on a deal between Lincoln Property Co. and Liberty Burger, but it is official: Liberty Burger is coming to Lakewood Shopping Center, and the owners are hoping to make it “very Lakewood.”
Liberty Burger co-owner Mariel Street signed the lease last week and will be overseeing the Lakewood branch from here on out, she says.
Over the next several months, we can expect to see the two vacant spaces that once housed Catalina 5G Boutique and the School of Contemporary Ballet Dallas being gutted out and chopped up to make room for the new burger haven.
“I’m hoping (construction) will start in July, and from there is should probably take 90 days. Hopefully 60, but realistically more like 90,” Street says.
There’s still a bit of work to be done before Lincoln hands the keys over to Liberty Burger. They’re going to knock down some major walls and put in a breezeway connecting the front of the building to the back. Liberty Burger will be in the space that was School of Contemporary Ballet Dallas, which will give it more space than at its original location.
The original Liberty Burger on Forest Lane made its claim to fame with its burgers (namely the signature Liberty Burger). It has a limited bar, and the second location off Keller Springs boasts a full-service bar. In Lakewood, we can expect to see a hybrid between the two, Street says.
“I don’t want to be a cheap bar, but I want people to be able to come get a good burger and a cheap beer, and so we’re going to do a lot of local drafts,” she says. “It’ll still be order-at-the-counter casual. And hopefully we’ll have a good deal on the beer and the margaritas.”
Right now Street is focusing on spending as much time in Lakewood as possible, talking with her neighbors about what they want.
“I love that Lakewood runs from chains, and I would hate to be perceived as a chain because we have three locations,” she says.
“I’ve hired some great designers who have really unique touches, so we’re actually going to break down some of the Liberty Burger design a little bit and make it very Lakewood – nothing cookie-cutter. We’re going to really tailor it to the neighborhood.”
