Johnny Rockets + Halsted Street Deli

In a marriage of burger and deli, Johnny Rockets and Halsted Street Deli have opened two combined restaurants in downtown Chicago. The new restaurants, which feature a wood-trimmed Halsted Street Deli on one side and the retro/modern Johnny Rockets on the other, feature walk-up registers and self-service beverage bars instead of the usual table-service model. Halsted Street Deli, owned by Bill Gomez and Rick Schofield, currently operates some 25 locations in the greater Chicago area. The partners plan to open 10 more co-branded units throughout the area. Johnny Rockets, based in Lake Forest, Calif., serves its burgers at more than 250 locations nationwide.