The first foreign Shula’s restaurant, an On the Beach version, is being discussed for Cancun, Mexico.

There was a Shula’s On the Beach in Key West, but it closed after five years in 2006 because new ownership of the hotel wanted to lease out the space and not operate a franchise, Shula Burger president Bill Herman said.

The concept of Shula Burgers — fast gourmet burgers at a casual place that serves alcohol — was the brainchild of Shula’s wife Mary Anne, who also is the Shula Steak Houses CEO.

The burgers are 5.3 ounces and made from 5 percent brisket, 5 percent short rib and 90 percent Black Angus beef chuck.

“Make sure you try ‘The Don.’ It’s hamburger with a hot dog on top,” Shula said.

The Islamorada Shula Burger is just around the corner on U.S. 1 from the Ocean View Pub & Inn, another casual place that sells burgers and is associated with a two-time Super Bowl Champion: former Pittsburgh Steelers defensive lineman Gary Dunn.

But unlike Dunn, who is hands on, Shula these days primarily plays the role of company ambassador. The day-to-day operations are run by others, including son Dave, the company president.

After being fired as head coach from the Cincinnati Bengals in 1996, Dartmouth-educated Dave Shula found his coaching options limited. He tried the restaurant business, working at almost every position, including dishwasher.

“I learned a restaurant is a lot like a football team,” he said. “To be effective, the talented people and everybody else on the team have to work together. You have to depend on each other.”

At the grand opening last week in Islamorada, Don Shula held court like the icon that he is, signing pictures, footballs and anything fans and new Shula Burger employees brought him.

Each Shula Burger will have a wall dedicated to one of the old coach’s favorite plays. At the Islamorada joint, it was play No. 70 HB SO, which stands for halfback short option.

Former Dolphins quarterback great Bob Griese, who came to the grand opening to support his old coach, pointed to his No. 12 on the play painted on the wall.

“It was designed for the back coming out of the backfield to catch a pass to get a first down or perhaps bigger play,” Shula said. “I had a lot of confidence that it would work against whatever coverage.”

The goal in the next five to 10 years is to have “hundreds of Shula Burgers” across the United States, Herman said.

While the Islamorada version is full service with a full bar and offers breakfast, most Shula Burgers are just lunch and dinner places with counter service and only beer and wine. The wine will be in special coolers that dispense servings of wine by the ounce, paid for with a card.

Shula Burgers are in the works for three other South Florida locations: in a new Publix shopping complex on Killian Parkway near Miami-Dade College that will open in June, on the 17th Street Causeway, formerly Edwin Watts Golf, in Fort Lauderdale that will open in September and one at the Delray Marketplace that will open in November.

The company also is finalizing a deal with a franchisee to open 10 additional Shula Burgers in Miami-Dade and Broward counties.

“I believe if you do a good job on the food, atmosphere and service, you will end up being a winner,” Don Shula said.

And maybe one day there will be a Shula Burger in Buffalo.