36 THE QUEENS COURIER • BUZZ • SEPTEMBER 23, 2021 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
buzz
Smashburger attracts big crowd at grand opening of Elmhurst location
BY GABRIELE HOLTERMANN AND
ANGÉLICA ACEVEDO
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Smashburger celebrated the grand
opening of its fi rst Queens location in
Elmhurst on Wednesday, Sept. 15, attracting
locals to the new eatery.
A steady stream of customers stood in
line outside the Smashburger, located at
40-35 82nd St., to grab some food during
their lunch break. Th e fi rst 100 customers
received a grab-bag with sunglasses, a
pen and Smashburger’s special seasoning.
Th e opening special was the single classic
with fries for $5.
Alida Espinoza, an Elmhurst
resident, stood in line
during her lunch break
with her colleague. It
was her fi rst time eating at
Smashburger, but is familiar with
it through Instagram. She decided to
grab lunch with a co-worker at the restaurant
aft er passing it on her way to work.
Espinoza was told that Smashburger “is
good food, just like Chik-fi l-A.”
“We’ve been wanting to try diff erent
restaurants, trying something new that
we haven’t had in the neighborhood. As
you can see, everything is changing. Th is
is one more opportunity to have a diff erent
choice,” Espinoza said.
Aft er fi nishing her lunch, Espinoza and
her co-worker appeared satisfi ed with the
meal and said they enjoyed everything,
“the chipotle sauce, the burger, the vegetables,
everything.”
“Th e taste of it was right on point,”
Espinoza said.
Andres Mondragon works across the
street and noticed the grand opening. He
decided to stop by for lunch because he
heard “good things about Smashburger.”
Mondragon had no problem with the
another chain opening in Elmhurst —
Smashburger is wedged between Chikfi
l-A and Chipotle. Months prior, a small
group of residents protested the newly
opened Chik-fi l-A.
“I think it’s actually for the good,”
Mondragon said. “Because, you know,
it is bringing a lot of job opportunities
for people.”
Kristina Gomez never heard
of Smashburger before.
“Th is is my fi rst time here,
but it’s also kind of like a new
burger spot. I know they’re probably
going to be competition to Emoji
Burger that’s not too far from here, so I
guess I kind of have to pick,”
Gomez said.
Smashburger incorporates
features from the areas
where they open restaurants
to honor and
be part of the neighborhood.
A mural on the wall at the Elmhurst
location, painted by a graphic designer,
features the Observation Towers of New
York State Pavilion and the Unisphere.
Inside the restaurant, plenty of seating
for indoor dining is available, with furniture
styled in modern yet warm detail.
In one instance, Smashburger workers
dumped fries that had been sitting
under the heating lamp in the trash.
When asked why, Clark Earthman,
director of operations at Smashburger,
said that if the fries sit for longer than
fi ve minutes under the heating lamp,
they get dumped because they aren’t
considered “fresh” any longer.
Th e location in Elmhurst is corporate,
with Earthman explaining that
50 percent of their locations
are franchises and
50 percent are corporate.
Th e Elmhurst location
employs 50 people,
and everything is made
fresh to order. Th e burgers
are made of 100 percent
Angus beef — fresh,
not frozen.
“We make it right there
for order as they come
up,” Earthman said.
When asked
what their quality
secret is, he
said, “It’s all
in the smash
and the
seasoning.”
A Smashburger
with fries.
Socceroof to open fi rst Queens location in LIC
BY NATALIE LOWIN
editorial@qns.com
@QNS
Soccer fans based in Long
Island City are in luck: A new
soccer fi eld by Socceroof is
coming to the neighborhood.
Located at 36-39 35th St. in
Dutch Kills, this will be the
Socceroof ’s fi rst location in
Queens. Th e fi rst Socceroof
facility in the city is located on
14b 53rd Street in Sunset Park,
Brooklyn.
Socceroof was created by
Frenchmen Jerome Meary and
Jean-David Tartour with the
goal of spreading a passion
of soccer into the hearts of
North Americans. Their mission
is to build a community
by bringing soccer enthusiasts
and players together both
online and offline.
Th e “roof ” aspect of Socceroof
helps make soccer more accessible
for those who live in urban
areas, like the New York City
Metropolitan area, since it promotes
the full usage of buildings
for its facilities.
Th e Newmark Group, a major
commercial real estate advising
fi rm headed by CEO Barry
M. Gosin, assisted in the lease
signing.
Th ose represented in the tenant
transaction for the building
were Newmark’s Senior
Managing Director Jordan
Gosin, Managing Director Josh
Gosin and Associate Director
Alex Rosenblum.
“We have been working with
Socceroof for the past eight
years, and it’s been phenomenal
seeing their growth within the
city,” Gosin said. “Th ey bring a
sense of community and enthusiasm
for the sport to the areas
in which they serve and off er
a great place for area youth as
well as adults to sharpen their
skills.”
Th e brand will be taking
over half of the 20,000-squarefoot
property, and will soon
open the facility inside the
10,000-square-foot space
with the help of their General
Manager Jonathan Lupinelli.
Construction of the facility is
still in the works, but should be
open to the public some time in
the fall of 2021.
Socceroof facilities can be
privately booked for both recreational
and business events
while recreational pick-up,
youth, and adult soccer leagues
are also available to the public.
To learn more about
Socceroof ’s rates and programs,
visit www.socceroof.com.
Photo courtesy of Socceroof
Exterior look of Socceroof in Long Island City.
Photos by Gabriele Holtermann
Customers line up outside
Smashburger’s newest restaurant
in Elmhurst -and the
fi rst Smashburger in Queens.
A Smashburger
employee shows
the chain’s signature
hamburger.
/WWW.QNS.COM
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/www.socceroof.com
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/www.socceroof.com
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