Original Burger Boy on North St. Mary’s Street is set to reopen April 1 downtown-area

A landmark late-night stop returns after months of repairs

The original Burger Boy restaurant on North St. Mary’s Street — long tied to downtown San Antonio’s late-night dining scene — is scheduled to reopen on April 1, marking the end of a months-long closure following a kitchen fire that damaged the building in August 2025.

San Antonio Fire Department crews responded to a call at 11:09 p.m. on Friday, Aug. 22, 2025. Firefighters found a kitchen fire that partially spread into the attic. No injuries were reported, and crews suppressed the fire in roughly 10 minutes before remaining on site to ensure it did not extend further. Officials did not publicly identify a cause.

What was closed — and what stayed open

The St. Mary’s location is widely regarded as the chain’s original Burger Boy storefront, opened in 1985. During the closure, the company directed customers to its other San Antonio-area restaurants, keeping the brand operating while repairs progressed at the damaged site.

Public updates over the past several months pointed to an early-2026 return, with company statements describing a rebuilding and refresh of the property. The April 1 reopening date aligns with that first-quarter timeline and follows visible on-site work that included interior teardown and restoration.

A business with deep local roots

Burger Boy traces its lineage to Whopper Burger, a San Antonio burger chain founded by Frank Bates in 1955 that once expanded to more than 20 locations before closing decades later. After Bates’ death in 1983, his son Carl Bates revived the family’s burger business under the Burger Boy name, with the North St. Mary’s Street restaurant becoming the flagship.

The company later expanded across the metro area and, in recent years, has continued adding locations. Separate filings with the Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation also show ongoing investment in new construction for additional restaurants, reflecting continued growth even as the St. Mary’s store underwent repairs.

Why the reopening matters for the corridor

The St. Mary’s Strip is a heavily trafficked nightlife and dining corridor connecting Midtown to downtown. The original Burger Boy has been a familiar stop for shift workers, students, and late-night diners, and its return restores a long-operating tenant to a prominent corner of the area’s food scene.

• Reopening date: April 1
• Location: 2323 N. St. Mary’s St., San Antonio
• Closure began: Aug. 22, 2025, following a kitchen fire

“We can’t wait to serve you again.”