Popular Fast Food Chain Katsu Burger Expands to Edmonds with Its First Bakery

Some beloved fried patties are expanding north of Seattle, with a major upgrade. Katsu Burger — the local fast food chain known for its Japanese-influenced menu with breaded burgers, nori fries, and green tea shakes — is about to debut a new restaurant-bakery in Edmonds called, appropriately enough, Katsu Burger & Bakery, at 22618 Highway 99.

Among the items coming out of the oven will be house-made milk brioche buns for the regular lineup of burgers, as well as a selection of Asian desserts such as mini pies, palmiers in matcha and kinako-black sesame flavors, cookies, and croissant-muffin hybrids . Katsu Burger & Bakery will be takeout only, with a plan to roll out the new offerings to the chain’s six other locations in Seattle, Lynnwood, Bellevue, and Federal Way soon. There is no opening date set yet.

“We have been longing to bake our own bun, and finally, we decided to do it,” says franchise chef Hannah Ha, who adds that the softness should be enough to hold the enormous patties (previous buns were sourced from Mario’s and Central Bakery). The new project has been in the works since the beginning of the year, but got delayed due to COVID-19.

This will be a significant move for the iconic burger chain, which began as a small Georgetown restaurant in 2011 by acclaimed Mashiko sushi chef Hajime Sato. It has steadily grown around the metropolitan area over the past decade, building a reputation for decadent offerings such as the Mt. Fuji — a burger stuffed with three katsu patties (chicken, beef, and pork), and topped with egg, bacon, cheese, wasabi mayo, and tonkatsu sauce.

But the restaurant is no stranger to experimentation. In 2018, its Ballard expansion added bento, cocktails, and even a sushi bar. And several outposts have had varying menu items, whether it’s booze, snacks, or milkshake flavors. The new Edmonds spot will be the first to try baked goods.

UPDATED, August 5, 2020, 3:30 p.m.: This item was updated with more details about the desserts and buns.

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