Steven Blakley’s hunger for a fresh combo — more room to get creative smashed with his burger brand’s special sauce — pushed the popular grab-and-go spot to a new home directly across the street. It reopened Tuesday in a new restaurant space that feels less boxed in, he said.
“The decision was kind of easy,” said Blakley, co-founder of SAUCED., describing the move from a 120-square-foot micro footprint to a nearby 2,000-square-foot storefront that kept the neighborhood feel, but enhanced options. “It made sense to stay in the same area, so we just walked across the street.”
Despite the short distance, the process of relocating to 7 E. 19th St. took nearly two years, he said, citing construction delays and the complexities of building out a full commercial kitchen inside an older building. Before reopening, the team also spent several weeks serving visitors at FIFA Fan Festival on the grounds of Liberty Memorial — opting to wait until after the tournament to reveal the new restaurant.
“I didn’t want to stretch the team or rush just to say, ‘Hey, we’re open,’” Blakley said. “We wanted to get through Fan Fest first.”…