BEVERLY — Ahmad Abuzir remembers his parents taking him to the IHOP at 9353 S. Western Ave. in Beverly.
On Wednesday, he'll take over the former pancake restaurant, introducing Jimmy's Famous Burgers to customers on the Southwest Side.
Abuzir, an Oak Lawn native, bought the A-frame building 1½ months ago. It was most recently operated as Seashell Restaurant.
After an extensive renovation, Jimmy's Famous Burgers is ready to make its Beverly debut, said Abuzir, who's worked in the restaurant business for 17 years.
Howard Ludwig says don't miss out on the shakes too:
This will be the third Jimmy's Famous Burgers location for the restaurateur. Abuzir opened the first Jimmy's in 2012 in suburban Dolton and expanded to Chatham about two months ago.
He said his hand-packed burgers with a special sauce are the signature menu item. The Philly steak sandwich and fresh-cut fries are also standouts on the menu, Abuzir said.
"What we are doing here is bringing in fresh product everyday," Abuzir said. "We don't cut corners."
Jimmy's Famous Burgers got its big break in 2013 after the restaurant was featured on WGN-TV's "Chicago's Best." The program showcasing Chicago-area restaurants spotlighted Jimmy's on an episode dedicated to the area's top cheesesteak sandwiches.
For its Beverly restaurant, Abuzir will try out several new menu items as well. A 10-inch pizza and eight flavors of shakes have been added to the already long list of offerings.
The shake flavors can also be mixed and matched. The shake varieties include chocolate swirl, strawberry, butter pecan, blue raspberry, banana, cheese cake, carmel and mango.
Abuzir said he was drawn to the location for many reasons, including the burgeoning retail development across the street in suburban Evergreen Park. Wal-Mart and Sam's Club anchor that shopping center.
Nearby Menards and Meijer are tenants of another busy retail area. There's also hope for the redevelopment of The Plaza, which could draw even more hungry shoppers to the area.
Abuzir believes his restaurant — named for his business partner's nephew — is well positioned to take advantage of the added traffic.
"It's a good location, high volume," Abuzir said.
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