Erica Techo
Twisted Root Burgers
Glynn Alan Harrison and Adam Allen, co-owners of the Twisted Root Burger Co. on Rocky Ridge Road, stand outside the restaurant while it is under construction.
Adam Allen hopes residents will welcome Twisted Root Burger Co. as their burger place.
“Basically, we really want to have the community have their own burger spot, their own fun place to go with their families,” said Allen, a co-owner of the restaurant.
Twisted Root Burger Co. is a Texas-based burger chain, and the Vestavia Hills location is the first in Alabama. When Allen and his partner, Glynn Alan Harrison, were looking for locations, he said, Vestavia’s community-oriented nature was the best fit.
“When we came here to do visits and look at locations, Vestavia just really fit our market portfolio,” Allen said.
The former garage at 2501 Rocky Ridge Road, the site that will house the restaurant, also fit their vision. By renovating a unique space, Allen said, it guarantees that the restaurant doesn’t feel like a chain location. He said the goal is to make Twisted Root feel like it has been in Vestavia for a while.
“This site in particular, we don’t like it to look like a franchise, so it was a unique location and really worked with our concept,” Allen said. The garage formerly housed Moe’s Original BBQ.
Twisted Root will have an outdoor patio area where kids can roam around, Allen said, while their parents hang out.
When they found the location, Allen and Harrison did not know about the planned Rocky Ridge entertainment district. Allen said he thinks the entertainment district will bring more customers to that area but otherwise not affect business.
This is the first Twisted Root franchise Allen and Harrison have opened, and the chain’s concept appealed to them because it is a place they would choose to eat.
“We were searching for something fun that really appealed to our age groups, 30- to 40-year-olds,” he said. “A place for young families with a great atmosphere.”
Allen also visited Twisted Root’s Shreveport, Louisiana, location, which was the company’s first franchise location. He said he enjoyed the restaurant’s food and atmosphere, and that led him to pursue opening his own franchise.
Twisted Root serves gourmet hamburgers, hot dogs, salads and specialty homemade desserts. In addition to traditional burgers, Twisted Root also offers game meats such as venison, elk, lamb and others. A unique touch, Allen said, is their adult milkshake option, which adds a shot of liquor to traditional milkshake fare. The restaurant also has a full bar.
After ordering, patrons draw a celebrity name out of a hat, and that name is called out to fill the order. Allen said those touches help add to the restaurant’s feel.
“It’s a very fun atmosphere, with a lot of different, fun, quirky things we do,” he said.
Twisted Root is set to open before the end of the year.
