Laguna burger joint gets a name change

A natural burger joint is still coming to Laguna Beach this spring, but with a new name.

Originally to be named Urbun Natural Burger, owner and operator David Mainiero, 23, said the restaurant will now be called BurgerFi. It will occupy the former Kentucky Fried Chicken location at 695 S. Coast Hwy.

Mainiero’s father is a partner in BurgerFi, which has three restaurants in Florida and has plans to open others in Texas, Ohio, Connecticut and the Carolinas. Laguna Beach will be its first foray onto the West Coast.

In November, Mainiero shared his plans with the Coastline Pilot for Urbun, which would have an environmentally conscious feel — from its corn compostable cups and green construction to grass-fed hot dogs and veggie burgers.

He promised a reasonable price point not much higher than In-N-Out.

“They share a lot of the same tenets I was trying to implement with Urbun,” he said of BurgerFi. “I felt I could make a bigger impact using the BurgerFi brand because of their resources and large network of support.”

–Joanna Clay, @joannaclay, Coastline Pilot

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