A&B Burgers Completes Move From Jail to Grocery Store

Two years after opening inside of a historic Salem jail, A&B Burgers debuts today at 5 p.m. in its new, larger home — a long-vacant grocery store in Beverly (206 Cabot St.) The "modern burger joint" shut down its original Salem location at the end of August 2015 to make the move.

"We are bigger and better in every way!!" the team announced on Facebook earlier this week. The new space seats 129, including a 22-seat bar and 16-seat communal table. The menu is bigger, as are the burger patties, the wine list, and the tequila selection. (There are also boozy milkshakes.)

Co-owners Thomas Holland and Amy Butler intend to grow the brand, according to the restaurant's website: "Our goal is to not only have restaurants, but also reach out to neighboring towns by serving our high-quality burgers through food trucks and even sidewalk stands," they write. "This will create a desire for the original. There's great growth potential for A&B Burgers but we will never outgrow our commitment: great hospitality, knowledgable staff members, well trained management, and consistency in product is the key for A&B Burgers success."

Holland has worked as general manager of Sonsie in Back Bay as well as director of operations and then managing partner for Michael Schlow's restaurant group, working on the build-out of Alta Strada at Foxwoods, Tico, and more. Butler also worked on the opening of that location of Alta Strada.