Bill's Bar & Burger to Open in Rock Center

Yesterday, news broke of Steve Hanson's plans for a Bill's Bar & Burger in Rockefeller Center. And today, the flacks at B.R. Guest have sent out the official release. There's not much to add onto yesterday's reveal, but really, we just want to dwell on the excitement of this a little longer. Here are the extra details:

-- It will open in May 2010
-- The two story space will be approximately 10,000 square feet
-- The walls will be adorned by "intensely colorful" works by local artists
-- The press release quotes Josh Ozersky twice

What still needs to be addressed: how will the masses of Midtown contain themselves when both a Bill's and a Shake Shack open within their perimeters in 2010?

January 7, 2010 (New York, NY) - Stephen Hanson and B.R. Guest Restaurants proudly announce the highly-anticipated flagship opening of Bill's Bar & Burger in Rockefeller Center, slated to open in May 2010. After much success and praise of the Meatpacking District location, Bill's Bar & Burger will bring their "mouthwatering” (New York Magazine), “classic” (Daily Candy), “luscious” (The Feedbag) burgers to New York City’s premiere destination.

B.R. Guest Restaurants has inked a deal with Tishman Speyer, co-owner of Rockefeller Center, for a space that is approximately 10,000 square-feet (4,866 on the street level and 5,022 on the concourse level). The restaurant will be located between 50th and 51st Streets and Fifth and Sixth Avenues on two levels. Bill’s Bar & Burger flagship will be joining other fine restaurants and retail shops at Rockefeller Center such as Brasserie Ruhlmann, Magnolia Bakery, Anthropologie, Cole Haan, Movado and Top of the Rock, the Observation Deck at Rockefeller Center. Bill’s Bar & Burger will bring a new low-key, casual vibe and its iconic burger to this iconic place, where locals and tourists come to appreciate and celebrate Manhattan.

"We received such positive feedback from the public when Bill’s Bar & Burger opened in the Meatpacking District in October 2009, that we knew we wanted to offer locals and visitors another location,” says Stephen Hanson, President & Founder, B.R. Guest Restaurants. “Everything fell into place when we saw the space at Rockefeller Center. The central location is ideal for us to serve the many people who work in and visit midtown Manhattan.”

Similar to the original Bill's, the no-frills space will feature paintings and drawings by cutting-edge local artists Dan Clements, Katie Merz, Mark Newgarden and David Scher, who will release their creativity directly on the walls of the restaurant. Bill’s Bar & Burger is proud to support these incredibly talented New York artists and give them a blank canvas to encourage their outstanding work. As the intensely colorful artwork adorns the walls, the menu is centered on the intensely juicy burger served on a soft, simple bun. The meat is a fresh mixture from the country's greatest burger butcher, Pat LaFrieda. Filling out the menu are items ranging from $8-$16 including grouper sandwiches, turkey burgers, hot dogs, chicken wings, onion rings, milkshakes and “great” crispy veggie fries made with batter that is “light and delicate, like a crisp tempura”(Serious Eats).

Rockefeller Center is considered the city's ultimate shopping and dining destination, home to both spacious flagship stores and unique specialty shops and restaurants, situated among the stunning architecture and greenery that is synonymous with the iconic space located in the heart of Manhattan. Bill's Bar & Burger is excited to share "the best hamburger in New York, if not the world" (Citysearch) with the estimated 350,000 people who visit the Rockefeller Plaza complex each day. Through the holidays, an estimated 750,000 people will walk through the Plaza, which is home to the most famous Christmas Tree in the world.

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