The national Smashburger chain has added to its presence on Long Island with last Friday’s opening of a location at 1600 Marcus Ave. in New Hyde Park.
“New Hyde Park is a terrific crossroads of Nassau County. When this location became available, I jumped on it,” said Irwin Kruger, owner of ISK Systems, the holding company for Smashburger’s four Long Island franchises.
Kruger said the proximity of North Shore-LIJ’s medical facilities and the Marcus Avenue industrial park in Lake Success makes the Marcus Avenue strip mall a prime location for the new Smashburger. He said the proximity of residential areas in New Hyde Park and a PetSmart anchoring the mall are also positive factors for Smashburger’s business.
Freshly cooked burgers with a variety of toppings is the difference Smashburger seeks to bring to the fast-food burger dining experience, Kruger said.
“Nothing is pre-cooked. Everything is made 100 percent fresh for our customers,” he said.
Kruger said Smashburger’s goal is to serve their burgers within six minutes from the time customers order them. Customers place their orders at a counter with a window into the kitchen and take their seats at tables in the dining area of the 2,950-square-foot restaurant with numbered order cards. The restaurant’s wait staff delivers orders to the tables.
The restaurant employs a staff of 50 full-time and part-time employees.
The New Hyde Park location has a seating capacity for 70 people.
Kruger said he anticipates half of Smashburger’s orders will be for take out.
He said he expects to “nail” the lunch business in the area and said he also hopes to draw strong business on the weekends.
In preparing the burgers, the seven-ounce burger patties are mashed on a 400-degree grill to sear in the flavor. Smashburger offers several variations on the burger theme, including the New Yorker, with cheddar cheese, grilled onions, fresh spinach, tomato and pepperoni garli stoli served on a brioche bun for $6.29.
The burgers on the Smashburger menu are $6.29, except the $5.29 Classic Smash, which features American cheese, the mustard-based smash sauce, ketchup, lettuce, tomatoes, pickles and onion on an egg bun.
A variety of side orders, including sweet potato fries, are also available, along with Haagen-Dazs shakes and floats.
Kruger, who formerly ran McDonald’s flagship locations in Times Square, Madison Square Garden and Pennsylvania Station in Manhattan, said he was attracted to the Denver-based Smashburger chain by its “better burger” concept.
“Customers don’t mind waiting for burgers with five different types of cheese and seven different sauces,” he said.
Kruger said he’s looking to give customers a different burger dining experience by offering an attractive decor with white tables, brick walls and walls decorated with Italian porcelain tiles. A wall of blue and green panels separate the dining area from the area where customers line up to place orders.
Kruger currently operates Smashburger restaurants in Port Washington, Hickville and Wantaugh. He said his goal is to open 20 Smashburger locations on Long Island over the next 10 years. The chain currently has 237 locations nationwide.
Hours of operation for the New Hyde Park Smashburger will be 10:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 10:30 a.m. to 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.
