Checkers restaurant chain is expanding in Northern Virginia and Richmond

Checkers, a Clearwater, Fla.-based fast food burger chain, is expanding in the Northern Virginia metropolitan area and in Richmond.

John Palumbo, director of franchise development, said the company opened a restaurant in Front Royal in late November. It’s about 1,000 square feet with a double drive-through window and employs about 50 people.  

In the Washington metropolitan area, “We’re actively engaged in at least a dozen locations, in terms of leases, and tangible opportunities,” Palumbo said. He said the company expects to open six new locations next year.

The new openings will be franchise locations. Palumbo says Checkers gets many franchise inquiries from the D.C. area, which can be expensive in terms of real estate. “That market has performed above average in terms of sales volume, guest service and other metrics for a long time,” he says, when asked about the push to open more stores.

Checkers owns 300 of its restaurants, which are known for burgers, fries and shakes. It already has seven locations in the Hampton Roads market and expects to open two to three locations in Richmond in 2016.

A single development group, whose name Palumbo did not disclose, plans to open five Checkers locations in the Richmond market over the next three to five years, he said.