Mighty Quinn’s BBQ opens in Forest Hills
Long Island Car Dealers Raise More Than $85K
to Turn ‘Cars Into Coats’ for Kids in Need
TIMESLEDGER | QNS.COM | MARCH 4 - MARCH 10, 2022 5
BY CARLOTTA MOHAMED
Mighty Quinn’s BBQ, which offers
an authentic barbecue experience
in a fast-casual setting, celebrated
its grand opening in Forest Hills on
Friday, Feb. 25.
The restaurant, located at 108-22
Queens Blvd., features two smokers,
indoor and outdoor seating and a full
bar serving up craft beer and unique
cocktails.
On opening night, Mighty Quinn’s
partnered with Fifth Hammer Brewing
Company, the local Queen’s brewery,
which was on site offering special
tastings to customers.
The owner, Michael Dolan, who is
a resident of Nassau County and a former
Wall Street equity sales trader,
signed a multi-unit agreement with
the NYC-based brand to open his own
franchise in Forest Hills.
Dolan’s plans came to a halt when
COVID-19 hit but now he’s officially
ready to bring the concept to Queens
residents.
“I’m really excited to bring authentic
barbecue to Queens and Forest Hills
in particular. Barbecue is the kind of
food that brings people together. After
the past two years I think we’re all
ready to enjoy dining in a comfortable
atmosphere, with great food served up
by a passionate team that truly cares
about making guests feel welcome,”
Dolan said. “With craveable barbecue
coming from our wood-fired smokers,
a casual bar and a space flooded with
natural light we aspire to become part
of the community.”
Defining urban barbecue, Mighty
Quinn’s BBQ is the merging of two
great barbecue traditions: Texas and
the Carolinas.
As a brand, Mighty Quinn’s was
first introduced in 2011, when cofounder
and pitmaster Hugh Mangum
smoked brisket and pulled pork
out of a mobile smoker hitched to
his pickup truck in Williamsburg,
Brooklyn.
Deciding to expand beyond the
mobile offering, which regularly resulted
in a 40-person line that continued
to grow until Mangum ran out
of product, Mangum joined forces
with his step-brother, Micha Magid,
and Micha’s brother-in-law, Christos
Gourmos, to open the first brick-andmortar
Mighty Quinn’s restaurant in
the East Village.
Since the brand’s inception, the
three partners have opened nine corporate
owned locations, a restaurant
at Yankee Stadium, two locations in
Madison Square Garden and one international
franchised restaurant.
Now, with strong operations and
a growing fan base, the brand wants
to push growth forward through
franchising.
Dolan was first introduced to
Mighty Quinn’s in the East Village.
While living just two blocks from the
restaurant, he would visit the site —
one of seven in the NYC area — once a
week for its all-natural meats and poultry,
seasoned with perfect spice blends
and wood-smoked.
Dolan’s plans for his franchise are
similar to that of Mighty Quinn’s in
Manhattan. From a decor perspective,
the venue has reclaimed wood
and Edison light bulbs that have
made Mighty Quinn’s so popular in
Manhattan.
Dolan says he hopes to open four
locations in Queens within the next
couple of years.
Photo courtesy of Mighty Quinn’s BBQ
Janine Davis, Kiora Johnson, Curtis Johnson, Jack Weidinger,
President, Weidinger Auto Group, Heather Connolly Vice President
Partnerships at Operation Warm & Mark Schienberg, President of the
Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association (Photo by Ed Shin)
Tony Anton GM of Jaguar Land Rover Freeport, Heather Connolly,
Jack Weidinger and Michael Convertino Service Director of Jaguar
Land Rover Freeport (Photo by Ed Shin)
Representatives from Long Island charities received thousands of warm winter coats at North Bay
Cadillac in Great Neck as part of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association’s annual coat drive.
Automobile dealers across Long Island raised more than $85,000 for brand-new coats to give to local
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manufactures brand-new, high-quality coats and shoes for children in need.
Representatives from some of the charities who received coats attended the event, including Darlene
Allen, of Mildred W. Fairclough Foundation); Kiora Johnson, of Blessings Plan; Sandrelys Almonte, of New
Horizon Counseling Center; Wanda Simpkins, of Progressive Holiness Church; and Janine Davis, of
Holiday’s Promise.
“Local area automobile dealers’ generosity and community spirit is well known, but the collective effort to
raise money to help kids in need keep warm this winter has been extraordinary. It gives me great pride to
lead the organization that represents them and to coordinate this effort on their behalf,” said Mark
Schienberg, President of the Greater New York Automobile Dealers Association.
“Giving back is a fundamental part of the Weidinger Auto Group philosophy and I am pleased to join other
local area franchised new car dealers to provide brand-new warm winter coats to those who need them
most. Covid has presented many challenges for families and if we can help make a difference in a kids life
by giving them a warm coat we will,” said Jack Weidinger, president of Weidinger Auto Group.
Families throughout the region are in greater need than ever this winter because of the devastation of
Covid-19. In fact, Operation Warm has received nearly triple the number of coat requests than ever before –
and the number continues to grow with each passing day.
That is why GNYADA teamed up with them to support New
York children in need.
“We commend Long Island’s local franchised new car
retailers for their incredible collective effort to provide
thousands of new warm coats to children in need this
winter. They have gone above and beyond to help those
Jack Weidinger,
President, Weidinger
less fortunate in the communities in which they live and
Auto Group
work,” said Operation Warm Executive Director, Grace Sica.
(Photo by Ed Shin)
Mark Schienberg,
President of the Greater
New York Automobile
Dealers Association
(Photo by Ed Shin)
/QNS.COM
