Brick OK’s Burger Chain to Replace Retail Proposed Near Sports Complex

The Brick sports complex at the Foodtown property on Route 70, Sept. 2025 (left) and a Habit Burger location. (Photo: Shorebeat/ Yum Brands)

Brick Township’s planning board has approved a request from developer Jack Morris to replace what had been a proposed retail segment of the former Foodtown (and current sports complex) site on Route 70 with a fast-casual restaurant.

The board voted unanimously to allow Morris, who owns the front portion of the site where the Aldi supermarket is now located, to the change to the site plan of the property to account for the addition of the fast-growing chain “Habit Burger.” M&M at Route 70, Morris’ company, sought to replace the previously-approved 6,400 square foot commercial building with the 2,426 square foot restaurant.

The restaurant will include a drive-through portion, according to representatives who appeared at the meeting. The Habit Burger restaurant was proposed after an Aldi supermarket and a Dunkin’ Donuts were already constructed at the site. The board previously approved a generic third pad site at the property, the tenant of which was undetermined until the deal with Habit Burger was solidified. As part of the proposal, M&M added 10 parking spaces to the site – eight traditional spaces and two handicap accessible spaces. Per the application, the restaurant will accommodate up to 40 customer seats will have 8 employees on site at a given time.

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Habit Burger will also accommodate 11 vehicles in the drive thru lanes “without impacting site circulation,” its application before the board said. A crosswalk will be built on the north-eastern side of the drive-thru lane.

Habit Burger (Credit: Yum Brands)

Habit Burger is a California-based fast casual restaurant chain that specializes in chargrilled hamburgers. It was founded in 1969 in Santa Barbara and since 2020 has been owned by YUM Brands, which is also the parent company of KFC, Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell. The closest existing location is on Route 35 in Eatontown, though the company operates 19 restaurants statewide, mainly in North Jersey. The company operates 372 locations nationwide.

According to its website, Habit Burger features more than a dozen hamburger options, including teriyaki burgers, bacon cheeseburgers and California burgers. It also offers chicken sandwiches, tuna filet sandwiches, veggie options and grilled cheese. The menu includes a large collection of salads as well as “charboxes,” which are entire meals intended for families. There are also kids’ meals including burgers and grilled cheese sandwiches.