National burger chain Burgerim coming to Streets of Woodfield

Burgerim, a fast-casual burger chain that describes itself as the fastest growing in the U.S., plans to open one of its first Illinois franchises this summer at Streets of Woodfield shopping center in Schaumburg.

Just ahead of it is an Oak Brook location listed on the company's website as coming soon to the Oak Brook Promenade shopping center at 3041 Butterfield Road in Oak Brook. There are no others in the state.

The Schaumburg franchise will be Hanover Park resident Rikin Gandhi's first foray into the restaurant industry. He hopes to receive his special-use permit from the village board Tuesday and be open approximately mid-August.

Schaumburg Landscape and Sustainability Planner Martha Dooley said the name derives from the Hebrew word "IM," meaning "many," and literally translates as "Many Burgers."

Though the name might be traditionally pronounced Burger-eem, it is instead pronounced flatter like "emporium," Gandhi said.

As its name implies, the restaurant serves up gourmet burgers of a size that most people would order several at a time and which are made from a variety of different meats, he added.

Making its debut in the Los Angeles area in 2016, the chain is already operating in 15 states and expects to have nearly 500 stores by the end of 2019, according to its website.

The Streets of Woodfield location will be in the 1,765-square-foot space of Suite 320 that was last occupied by a Jersey Mike's Subs. It's because the space has been vacant for more than six months that a new special-use permit must be issued to operate a fast-casual restaurant there, Dooley said.

The village's zoning board of appeals recommended approval of the permit by a 6-0 vote late last month.