Looks like our new Shack will have all the popular favorites we all know and love when it opens next week! (Thanks to Joe for sending me the pic!)
Showing posts with label fast food. Show all posts
Showing posts with label fast food. Show all posts
Friday, May 20, 2016
Wednesday, March 16, 2016
Monday, November 16, 2015
Confirmed! Shake Shack Coming to Forest Hills!
In what just might be the most important news for Forest Hills since the Stadium started up concerts again,
Shake Shack confirmed this morning that they will be opening in the former Strawberry store location on Austin Street: Shack HQ Confirms: Queens Is Getting Another Standalone Shake Shack
Just some early thoughts as the news that this is really happening sinks in:
1) This will be awesome for the Austin St. shopping district of Forest Hills. It will bring in tons of new shoppers to the neighborhood. The lines that usually stretch outside a Shake Shack (if they materialize, and judging by the lines we already get inside our Chipotle, I'd be shocked if they didn't) will be mostly younger potential shoppers for all of the other retailers surrounding our new Shack. If these retailers are smart, they will take advantage of these crowds somehow. In fact, I hope the Shake Shack invigorates Austin Street all the way down to Ascan, an area that can especially use a boost.
2) It will also bring in tons of younger shoppers to the neighborhood, and as a result, could very well change the dynamic of the shopping we have along Austin Street, possibly attracting retailers aimed at younger shoppers.
3) Personally, I am surprised—surprised that Shake Shack has skipped over supposedly "hipper" Queens neighborhoods like Astoria and Long Island City to open up their first stand-alone location here in Forest Hills.
But then, when I think about it more deeply, I can see why:
Below is my chart of who Shake Shack will compete with and who it won't, since there's been a lot of discussion about this over on the Blog's Facebook Page. All burger places in the year 2015 are not same, anything but. We've moved way beyond the days of McDonald's versus Burger King. You may be surprised by my take on this, but you have to take into consideration the different types of consumers each burger place is trying to appeal to. Bareburger, for example, is really a health-food restaurant that just so happens to make burgers. My conclusion: they will not be competing with Shake Shack which is anything but that.
Just some early thoughts as the news that this is really happening sinks in:
1) This will be awesome for the Austin St. shopping district of Forest Hills. It will bring in tons of new shoppers to the neighborhood. The lines that usually stretch outside a Shake Shack (if they materialize, and judging by the lines we already get inside our Chipotle, I'd be shocked if they didn't) will be mostly younger potential shoppers for all of the other retailers surrounding our new Shack. If these retailers are smart, they will take advantage of these crowds somehow. In fact, I hope the Shake Shack invigorates Austin Street all the way down to Ascan, an area that can especially use a boost.
2) It will also bring in tons of younger shoppers to the neighborhood, and as a result, could very well change the dynamic of the shopping we have along Austin Street, possibly attracting retailers aimed at younger shoppers.
3) Personally, I am surprised—surprised that Shake Shack has skipped over supposedly "hipper" Queens neighborhoods like Astoria and Long Island City to open up their first stand-alone location here in Forest Hills.
But then, when I think about it more deeply, I can see why:
- More younger people are moving into Forest Hills
- There are already a ton of the younger folk here
- Also, pretty much every demographic seems to love Shake Shack, and we have just about every demographic living here
- Austin Street is an extremely attractive shopping district with just the upscale feel Shake Shack loves (though it's been struggling a bit in some regards as of late—this will put a stop to that struggling)
- Austin Street is easily accessible by both car and public transit, so expect people to come to Shake Shack from all around Forest Hills
- The Strawberry location itself is ideal for a Shake Shack. It is a two-story building with more than enough space to eat in, along with huge windows, and sits at the head of a side street, making it extremely visible to shoppers not only on Austin Street, but those coming down 71st Avenue.
Below is my chart of who Shake Shack will compete with and who it won't, since there's been a lot of discussion about this over on the Blog's Facebook Page. All burger places in the year 2015 are not same, anything but. We've moved way beyond the days of McDonald's versus Burger King. You may be surprised by my take on this, but you have to take into consideration the different types of consumers each burger place is trying to appeal to. Bareburger, for example, is really a health-food restaurant that just so happens to make burgers. My conclusion: they will not be competing with Shake Shack which is anything but that.
The new Shake Shake will compete with in Forest Hills:
- Twist & Smash'd (When I had their burgers, I thought to myself they reminded me of Shake Shack.)
- Cheeburger Cheeburger (Both chains are going for the consumer who wants to have a filling, delicious burger and isn't watching calories)
Doesn't compete with:
- McDonald's (today, our McD's of old is anything but the premium fast food burger outlet that Shake Shack is.)
- Bareburger (A health food restaurant with tons of different proteins and salads, along with some tasty indulgent foods. But "healthy" is the word here at Bareburger. A low-fat Bison Burger is nothing like a Shake Shack burger. Bareburger has a particular niche for those who want a healthier option and I predict they will be minimally-impacted by the new Shack. I myself will still mostly go to Bareburger since I am careful about what I eat, and when I'm in the mood for a real treat, will visit The Shack.)
- Pubs that sell burgers (Most people don't seek out their local pubs for a burger. They go to the pub and then say, "Hmmm, I'm in the mood for a burger with my beer." Burgers are an afterthought at pubs.)
Friday, September 11, 2015
What's Up With Strawberry?
Just what is going into the two-story former Strawberry location on Austin Street in Forest Hills? There have been some very odd murmerings about this location over the past couple of weeks, hinting that something big is coming in. And now, this morning, one reader says she heard from someone that it will become a Shake Shack. In any case, excitement is building and rumors are flying. Should be interesting to see who the "major retailer" said to be coming into this space will actually be.
Wednesday, September 2, 2015
Quite Possibly the Most Important News Ever
McDonald's to start all-day breakfast nationally on Oct. 6
How many times my day has been ruined by that sinking realization, that I was too late, they had stopped serving breakfast, the Egg McMuffin, the only breakfast that would provide me complete, 100 percent satisfaction at that moment, was now beyond my reach—until tomorrow. I will no longer have to suffer such crushing dismay. Imagine, being able to get my Egg McMuffin for breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night snack, and in-between. Why did it take McDonald's more than the 270 years that I think I heard to make this true? Yes, I bet you didn't know that it was actually the Egg McMuffin that fueled the Continental Army during their long war of independence against the British, and helped the North defeat the South, and helped Western Civilization prevail against the Nazi.
How many times my day has been ruined by that sinking realization, that I was too late, they had stopped serving breakfast, the Egg McMuffin, the only breakfast that would provide me complete, 100 percent satisfaction at that moment, was now beyond my reach—until tomorrow. I will no longer have to suffer such crushing dismay. Imagine, being able to get my Egg McMuffin for breakfast, lunch, dinner, late night snack, and in-between. Why did it take McDonald's more than the 270 years that I think I heard to make this true? Yes, I bet you didn't know that it was actually the Egg McMuffin that fueled the Continental Army during their long war of independence against the British, and helped the North defeat the South, and helped Western Civilization prevail against the Nazi.
Wednesday, April 1, 2015
New Restaurant: Munch
Here's the menu for this new casual / takeout place that opened in the 'Austin Street Mall.' Has anyone tried it yet?
Sunday, December 1, 2013
Twist And Smash'd Review
I tried our newest burger place, Twist And Smash'd, located at 72-06 Austin St. in Forest Hills.
Overall, I was really happy with the food. The burger I had, a double Original Smash'd Angus beef burger ($9.25) was delicious as well as perfectly cooked. I really, really liked it. My only complaint, for the price the burger should be bigger. The same goes for the chicken burger I ordered ($5.50 for a single burger.) It was excellent but should have been bigger,
The place prides itself on its unique "Twisted Potatoes"—a stack of thin fried potato slices on a stick. Again, these were delicious. Each one (for $2.50) was nice and salty and somehow didn't leave you with that stuffed feeling you get from regular french fries.
The restaurant itself, which looked still slightly unfinished when I went this weekend, has a fun vibe with numerous tables spread throughout the space. They also say they will have outdoor seating in the back in the nicer weather.
Also, they will soon be rolling out home delivery.
I was thrilled to see that they got my take-out order exactly right, despite what was a pretty big crowd and the fact that they were obviously in that typical opening phase, where they're still working out the kinks. It took about 20 minutes for me to get the food, not terrible. The place could definitely use a second cashier! But the three different employees I spoke with were very courteous and helpful.
So how would I rate the burger? Against my gold standard for a fast food burger—Shake Shack—I'd give Shake Shack a perfect 10 and the Twist & Smash'd Original Double a 9. It was definitely up there in terms of quality and taste. I just wish it was a little bit bigger to make it fully worth the $9.25 I paid for the double size. Make the burger bigger, and it's easily a 10.
I have to admit I had my doubts about what is in essence a "mom and pop" burger place opening at a time when there are already several really great burger chains in the New York City area. But Twist & Smash'd appears to me to have what it takes to go head to head with the best of them. But they need to overcome that "mom and pop" stinginess and be much more generous with the size of the burgers, especially when asking for upwards of $9 bucks for a double burger. (Just to clarify, the single burgers are $5.50.)
But all in all, I'm thrilled to see central Forest Hills finally get a modern fast burger place. For whatever reason, the other well-known chains, so prevalent in other parts of the City, haven't yet opened on or near Austin. And it's their loss. As I said, the Twist & Smash'd location was extremely busy when I went there after being open a scant 24 hours. There's obviously a huge demand for this type of place here. Why the big guys haven't noticed is beyond me. Now, when they finally do open here, they'll have to play catch-up to Twist.
I'll post the entire Twist and Smash'd menu Sunday. There are plenty of other options that I look forward to trying, including salads, a Short Rib Burger, a Crab burger and even Chicken and Waffles. This is one inventive place and we're lucky to have it! (And I'm already craving another one of their burgers!)
Overall, I was really happy with the food. The burger I had, a double Original Smash'd Angus beef burger ($9.25) was delicious as well as perfectly cooked. I really, really liked it. My only complaint, for the price the burger should be bigger. The same goes for the chicken burger I ordered ($5.50 for a single burger.) It was excellent but should have been bigger,
The place prides itself on its unique "Twisted Potatoes"—a stack of thin fried potato slices on a stick. Again, these were delicious. Each one (for $2.50) was nice and salty and somehow didn't leave you with that stuffed feeling you get from regular french fries.
The restaurant itself, which looked still slightly unfinished when I went this weekend, has a fun vibe with numerous tables spread throughout the space. They also say they will have outdoor seating in the back in the nicer weather.
Also, they will soon be rolling out home delivery.
I was thrilled to see that they got my take-out order exactly right, despite what was a pretty big crowd and the fact that they were obviously in that typical opening phase, where they're still working out the kinks. It took about 20 minutes for me to get the food, not terrible. The place could definitely use a second cashier! But the three different employees I spoke with were very courteous and helpful.
So how would I rate the burger? Against my gold standard for a fast food burger—Shake Shack—I'd give Shake Shack a perfect 10 and the Twist & Smash'd Original Double a 9. It was definitely up there in terms of quality and taste. I just wish it was a little bit bigger to make it fully worth the $9.25 I paid for the double size. Make the burger bigger, and it's easily a 10.
I have to admit I had my doubts about what is in essence a "mom and pop" burger place opening at a time when there are already several really great burger chains in the New York City area. But Twist & Smash'd appears to me to have what it takes to go head to head with the best of them. But they need to overcome that "mom and pop" stinginess and be much more generous with the size of the burgers, especially when asking for upwards of $9 bucks for a double burger. (Just to clarify, the single burgers are $5.50.)
But all in all, I'm thrilled to see central Forest Hills finally get a modern fast burger place. For whatever reason, the other well-known chains, so prevalent in other parts of the City, haven't yet opened on or near Austin. And it's their loss. As I said, the Twist & Smash'd location was extremely busy when I went there after being open a scant 24 hours. There's obviously a huge demand for this type of place here. Why the big guys haven't noticed is beyond me. Now, when they finally do open here, they'll have to play catch-up to Twist.
I'll post the entire Twist and Smash'd menu Sunday. There are plenty of other options that I look forward to trying, including salads, a Short Rib Burger, a Crab burger and even Chicken and Waffles. This is one inventive place and we're lucky to have it! (And I'm already craving another one of their burgers!)
 |
| They gave me my take out order in this cool tote bag. Nice touch! |
 |
| Double Original Smash'd beef burger. |
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| Chicken burger (single) had a nice charcoal taste. |
 |
| Their unique Twisted Potatoes |
 |
Friday, June 21, 2013
Happy Summer!
Happy First Day of Summer! And what better way to kick it off than with a nice Margarita? I saw you can now enjoy one with your tasty Mexican fare at our neighborhood Chipotle...
Monday, May 6, 2013
Lining Up at the Forest Hills Chipotle
Apparently, I'm not the only one quite satisfied with the food they're serving up at our recently opened Chipotle on Austin St. The scene there Monday, 7:15 p.m. The line went around the entire place...
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
More Chipotle Pics
70-30 Austin Street
-
Coming Soon!
Coming Soon!
| Phone | 718.709.4385
|
Fax 718.263.3240 |
| Hours | Mon-Sun 11am-10pm |
| 70-30 Austin Street | |
| Forest Hills, NY 11375 |
Sunday, December 2, 2012
Chipotle - Another View
Here's a better pic of the inside of the Chipotle under construction on Austin St. It's impressive how much more space they were able to create through combining the two former businesses at this location...
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
Facebook Page for Forest Hills' New Red Mango
As already mentioned on this blog, the frozen yogurt chain Red Mango will be coming in to the space where the OTB used to be.
Here's the link to a Facebook page for the Forest Hills location:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Mango-Forest-Hills-NY/459296004087655?ref=ts
Here's the link to a Facebook page for the Forest Hills location:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Red-Mango-Forest-Hills-NY/459296004087655?ref=ts
Sunday, February 6, 2011
I Still Love You
By the way, so what if you're not mostly made of meat, like that silly little lawsuit claims? You are delicious and I still love you... Taco Bell Forever!!!Oh, and while I am at it, don't be jealous... I still love you too!!!
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