Popular NW fast-food chain Burgerville confirms interest in Tri-Cities
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Burgerville Washington expansion includes possible Tri-Cities site.
- Site plans and job postings suggest redevelopment of empty Kennewick building.
- Brand emphasizes Northwest sourcing, with 75% of ingredients locally produced.
The Tri-Cities may be getting a Burgerville, a popular Washington-based regional chain that is expanding locations with the help of new investors.
Burgerville confirmed Monday afternoon that it is “working to join the Kennewick community,” but said it did not yet have any details to share.
Indeed already has job postings to hire a general manager and an assistant manager for a new Burgerville restaurant opening in Kennewick. No location within Kennewick is given in the job postings.
However, the postings come as the city of Kennewick has approved a site plan to expand the vacant Sonic Drive-In at 8600 W. Gage Blvd. The fast food chain that featured carhop service has been empty since Sonic closed in September 2022.
The permit plan is for a drive-thru restaurant with a new 880-square-foot dining area.
A building permit application also has been filed with the city of Kennewick. Neither the site plan nor building permit application list the restaurant by name.
It was filed by financial firm Sortis, which has some involvement with Burgerville. The same company is currently offering partial financial interests in Salem, Ore., property for a new Burgerville.
The Gage Boulevard property in Richland is owned by Washington Securities & Investment Corp., according to the latest Benton County assessor information available.
Burgerville, which is based in Vancouver, is known for sourcing 75% of its ingredients from the Northwest, including its current seasonal offerings — onion rings made with Walla Walla onions and milk shakes, sundaes and lemonades featuring Oregon raspberries.
It buys beef from Country Natural Beef in Redmond, Ore., and Carman Ranch in Wallowa, Ore., and offers at least one burger made with 100% grass-fed, grass-finished beef.
Breakfasts burritos and sandwiches are made with cage-free eggs.
At its Vancouver restaurant a half-pound Walla Walla BBQ cheeseburger is $11.99, an original hamburger with Burgerville spread is $3.99 and vegan “cheezeburger” is $8.99 with large fries for $4.89.
Burgerville is best known in Western Washington and Western Oregon.
When The Tacoma News Tribune polled its readers on what home improvement, grocery or restaurant brands readers wanted to come to Pierce County, Burgerville was one of the top two vote-getters.
Most of its 40 restaurants are on or near the Interstate 5 corridor in Washington and Oregon, but it also has restaurants in Bend and off I-84 in The Dalles, Ore.
The burger chain was launched in 1961 and has grown to 40 locations in the two states.
In 2024, it announced that the Mears family, founders of the brand, were partnering with local investors in a partnership as part of a “planned and multi-year strategy of thoughtful growth for Burgerville.”
It said then its initial plan was to open restaurants in Wilsonville, Salem and Keizer, Ore., followed by expansion north and east of Centralia, Wash.
It said then that it had plans for at least six more restaurants and as many as 10 planned over the next year in the Pacific Northwest.
The company’s commitment to quality and supporting local producers have contributed to an increase in sales over the past two years, it said then.
This story was originally published July 7, 2025 at 12:38 PM.