Becks Prime secures 40-year renewal for original Kirby location
Becks Prime, a gourmet hamburger chain that got its start 35 years ago at 2902 Kirby Drive, renewed a lease to stay at its original location for decades to come.
The Houston business, which was started by Mike Knapp and Win Campbell to offer high quality meals in a fast way, signed a 40-year renewal for its 1,800-square-foot location in the Upper Kirby District. Becks Prime has grown to 13 locations, including one each in Dallas and Pflugerville.
“I think they actually invented fast casual,” said Molly Voorhees, Becks Prime president and daughter of Campbell.
Customers order specialties such as mesquite grilled burgers, chicken sandwiches, hot dogs, ahi tuna, hand cut fries, salads, grilled vegetables and shakes at the counter or the double drive thru. The average bill is $15 a person.
While lease terms were not disclosed, the deal seals the future of Becks on a stretch of Kirby Drive where projects have risen ever higher over the past 20 years. The restaurant is surrounded by the 40-story Hanover River Oaks apartments, the Arrive River Oaks shops and apartments and Giorgetti Houston condos.
Other nearby high-rises include the 30-story 2727 Kirby condos and Kirby Collection mixed-use development. Former neighbors such as River Oaks Tennis Club and the Kirby Court apartments are long gone.
The location, which has traditionally generated about 70 percent of business from to go orders, is keeping busy during the coronavirus pandemic following a slow period in March and April.
“What we learned is this trend isn’t going away and this is a model that can thrive in this situation,” Voorhees said. “For us, the model works — a small footprint with a lot of ‘to go’ business.”
Becks employs 300 people across its restaurants. Only the locations in the downtown tunnels and Pflugerville remain closed because of the coronavirus.
The company’s longtime employees have helped navigate challenges of doing business during a pandemic by keeping things safe, clean and running, Voorhees said. Becks says it compensates employees well as part of a mission to provide a good experience to diners.
“We try to be as accurate and consistent as possible,” Voorhees said. “We know if someone comes in and wants mustard on the top bun and mayo on the bottom, we have to get that right.”
The business formula also includes using high quality ingredients, not scrimping on quantity, Voorhees said. The company uses containers and utensils made from materials that can be composted.
Voorhees joined the company in 2006 to expand the business, which has largely stopped growing because of high real estate costs, she said.
The Kirby lease renewal comes as many companies have put leasing decisions on hold and retailers work out arrangements with landlords to defer rent because of lost business during the pandemic.
Across the the Houston market, 1.25 million square feet of retail space went vacant in the second quarter, according to Colliers International. That marked the first time since 2012 that more space was vacated than leased.
Area retail leasing activity decreased 28.6 percent over the quarter to 1.0 million square feet in the second quarter, according to Colliers International.
Retail rents in Houston have flattened or slightly declined, according to commercial real estate firm Weitzman. Rents in the strongest, most affluent markets such as the Heights, Upper Kirby and the Village can top $50 per square foot per year. Rents for top properties start at $30 per square foot and go higher for inner Loop properties.
Company founder Win Campbell, an attorney with Campbell & Riggs, represented Becks Prime in the lease. The landlord was represented by Mike Wheeler with Streetwise Retail Advisors.