Exclusive: Surprise, Decatur! Smileys Burger Club opens Saturday

In a surprise move, Ean Bancroft will open Smileys Burger Club on East Howard Avenue three months ahead of schedule, bringing its award-winning smashburgers to Decatur permanently.

The restaurant, which opens Saturday, July 20, previously operated as a pop-up hosted at neighboring Kelly’s Market , restaurants like Breaker Breaker , and breweries like Sceptre Brewing Arts .

While the planned construction to add a covered patio and upgrade the restrooms will still happen, the city of Decatur allowed Smileys Burger Club to open for takeout, Bancroft told Rough Draft Atlanta in an exclusive interview. He will use the extra time at Smileys permanent location to train staff, dial in service, and gauge its operating hours based on customer demand.

A conversation this spring with Victory Sandwich Bar and S.O.S. Tiki Bar co-owner Ian Jones encouraged Bancroft to begin speaking with city officials about present and future plans for Smileys Burger Club. Further encouragement and business guidance came from friend and Kelly’s Market owner Sean Crotty, who serves as a Decatur Business Association board member.

The building, formerly home to BBQ Cafe and hot dog stand Doggy Dogg, comes fully equipped and ready to operate as a takeout restaurant. Construction plans for Smileys Burger Club won’t alter that service model, only add more seating outside and one more restroom.

Bancroft said he spent June acquiring the certificate of occupancy, a business license, the go-ahead from the fire marshal, and filing for the proper permits to open for takeout. He continued to engage with city officials throughout the process, asking questions and doublechecking everything before moving forward.

This past Tuesday, Bancroft received the final paperwork necessary to open: a health inspection score of 100 .

Related link: Smileys Burger Club lands in Decatur this fall, taking over the former BBQ Cafe space on East Howard

“That felt good. It was a lot of work to make it happen, but our burger speaks for itself. We have momentum right now with our events and pop-ups and want to capitalize on that and put some money back into our account,” Bancroft said. “Not having to set up and break down after every service and being in one place helps.”

With the city’s seal of approval on Smileys phase one, phase two begins after the restaurant opens this weekend. That includes finalizing construction plans with the architect and the city and filing for more permits. If all goes well, construction should finish by early October. The Historic Preservation Commission of Decatur previously approved the plans for Smileys phase two.

Smileys Burger Club will eventually feature an all-weather patio in front, tripling the seating capacity outside, and a second restroom along the side of the building.

Expect classic-style burgers with one, two, or three patties griddled and topped with American cheese, house-made pickles, and a riff on Big Mac sauce. Burgers come served on Engleman’s potato buns with additional toppings like onions, jalapenos, and crumbled bacon pieces and sides of seasoned fries or fried smiley faces (mashed potato croquettes) fried in canola oil and beef tallow.

Bancroft said the menu will also feature a griddled chickpea and beet vegetarian burger made in-house. He suggests heading next door to Kelly’s Market if you’re seeking a salad and bottles of wine (Smileys will only sell wines by the glass.) Kelly’s Market sells premade salads and other deli options. The two businesses share the Smileys patio.

Bancroft hopes to secure a beer and wine license some time in August. Look for non-alcoholic options on the drinks menu, including at least one zero-proof beer.

He will start off operating Smileys Burger Club on Saturdays, beginning at 11 a.m. Hours will expand to Fridays and Sundays in the next few weeks. Bancroft expects to expand to five days a week once construction finishes up, hopefully by October 1. Late-night hours could also begin then. He wants to carefully gauge customer demand and make sure staff is properly trained before pulling the trigger on more operating hours.

As for Mothers Best, the fried chicken restaurant may be months away from opening. Unanticipated hiccups cost some time and money along the way. That’s why when it came to Smileys Burger Club, he sought further guidance from other Decatur restaurateurs and continually engaged with city officials about the plans to avoid similar pitfalls encountered with Mothers Best.

“As we grow Smileys, you’ll see the progression of the menu and the restaurant. But that burger put Smileys on the map,” said Bancroft, still riding high from being crowned champions of Atlanta Burger Week. “Winning it was huge. People really came out for that.”

“Smileys is a small burger spot with no modifiers. Our menu is very straightforward and so is our restaurant,” he added. “It’s a 500-square-foot burger shack. Simple as that. Just come hang out.”

Check out the menu for Smileys Burger Club below:

310 East Howard Avenue, Decatur . C urrently open on Saturdays. Hours expanding to five days a week in the fall and will likely include late-nights on weekends. Follow Smileys Burger Club on Instagram to keep updated.

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