Braum's Is Becoming the Dollar General of Lubbock Burger Spots

"You can't stop them, you can only hope to contain them..." - Random Guy on ESPN

In the past couple of years, Braum's, the Oklahoma-based restaurant chain that specializes in ice cream, dairy products and burgers, has quietly and quickly expanded it's footprint with nearly 300 locations, mostly in Texas and Oklahoma.

Here in the Lubbock area, Braum's has already opened five locations and is close to opening their sixth store on Quaker Avenue, just south of 114th street, next to Starbucks and across from HEB. Their 7th store is set to open soon in Plainview.

Lance Ballance, Townsquare Media

It's been just shy of two years since Braum's first came to Lubbock at 79th and Milwaukee, which is where I had my first Braum's experience over the weekend. I will say that I was impressed with the freshness, and my shake was amazing. I even bought a gallon of A2 Milk from Braum's Fresh Market, which, according to their website, "may have added health benefits and is easier on digestion for some people".

However, the rapid expansion of Braum's into the Hub City has not gone unnoticed, especially in a town with a Whataburger on every corner. At this rate, it appears that Braum's is opening new stores, almost as quickly as Dollar General opens a new location.

Lance Ballance, Townsquare Media

The locust-esque takeover of Dollar General stores has been well-bandied about. The website It's a Southern Thing created a hilarious video on their YouTube channel that parodies the expansion of Dollar General across the South.

I also remember what happened to another beloved brand that got too big, too quickly. Looking at you, Krispy Kreme. Let's hope that Braum's plays it smart and doesn't over-expand. They may have the right idea, since they have stated that to keep freshness, they will not open a store outside of a 300-mile radius of their home farm in Oklahoma.

Now to place bets on where their eight location may open...