Restaurateur Stephen Starr, who’s explored concepts as varied as high-end sushi (Morimoto), Brady Bunch-esque comfort food (Jones) and theatrical Pan-Asian (Buddakan), has taken on the humble hamburger.
Starr has opened a stand in Franklin Square Park, near the base of the Ben Franklin Bridge and across from the National Constitution Center in Old City. Besides burgers, Starr is offering hot dogs, pretzels, drinks and ice cream under a tent, pending construction of a permanent building due to be finished July 4, at which point he'll roll out a full menu with shakes and salads. The operation is open 11 AM–6:30 PM until Memorial Day, then to 8:30 PM through Labor Day, and will follow the park’s lead by shutting down in fall.
Cheeseburger and napkin in hand, Zagat Survey cornered Starr near the square’s carousel and asked:
Zagat Buzz: Why do this?
Stephen Starr: My daughter [Sophie, 9] loves it here. It’s simple: I want to do good food for the kids in the park. And yes, it’s corny, but it’s cool.
ZB: What is your inspiration for the setup?
SS: I really like Shake Shack [in NYC’s Madison Square Park], and I think they do a great job.
ZB: So is this the future for your company – burgers and hot dogs?
SS: Are you kidding? I’m not going to make anything here. I’m doing this because the city asked me to.