TOWN OF DEWITT – The opening of the new Burger King in DeWitt was celebrated with a ribbon-cutting ceremony the morning of Friday, Dec. 16.
Taking place amid school closings and winter weather advisories, the public event was hosted by CenterState CEO and Carrols Corporation both outside and inside the new location, which is located at 3414 Erie Blvd. E. next to the Trader Joe’s grocery store.
The restaurant had its soft opening a week prior, becoming what is so far the only “pavilion-style” Burger King in Central New York.
“It’s beautiful and more of a modern design,” said Laurie Clark, the communications coordinator for Carrols Restaurant Group Inc. “We’re just really proud to have it here in the town of DeWitt, and despite the weather of course, it’s great to see everybody come out and support Carrols.”
During the Dec. 16 ceremony, New York State Sen. John Mannion said he recalled frequenting the Carrols eatery in Western Lights Plaza that predated the Burger King there, making specific mention of Looney Tunes drinking glasses he obtained as complements to the meals.
“We want to acknowledge the good work that Carrols does, all the people that they employ, and that they have faith in Syracuse and Central New York like we do,” Mannion said.
The senator handed over a proclamation congratulating Carrols Corporation on the opening and thanking them for doing business locally.
“We’ve been excited about this for a long time and the team has been waiting for a long time to get the doors open, so it’s been a terrific week,” Bryan Leonard, the region director for Carrols, said the day of the ceremony.
That morning, Leonard was wearing a pin with Burger King’s slogan “You Rule,” which recently replaced the “Have It Your Way” motto.
“We want the customer to know that they’re number one,” Leonard said.
According to Clark, Carrols Corporation is the largest Burger King franchise operator in the United States. The newest restaurant is Carrols’ 1,089th in total and its second on Erie Boulevard.
Founded in 1960 in Syracuse, the corporation oversees Burger Kings as far north as Watertown and as far west as Auburn in the immediate area.