Rockwell’s Express on 8th Street

Throwing their hat into the ever-expanding NYC burger ring is Rockwell’s Express, slated to open on East 8th Street in September in the old Rickshaw Dumpling space. A source on the commercial real estate side tells us that the burger shop, which has a full restaurant in Westchester, is a “fast-casual concept” with a service counter. Rockwell’s Express will offer delivery, but like Chipotle and Cafetasia across the street, they’re also hedging their bets with sit-down service and booze (most likely just beer and wine).

Rockwells’ owner Stephen Robbins is touting the ingredients of his burgers, which are made of USDA prime meat and can be custom-stuffed with various ingredients. Here’s the burger menu from the Rockwell’s in Pelham – though the Rockwell’s Express menu will differ.

Rose Associates, which rents most of the commercial space on 8th Street, welcomes the influx of new restaurants, but as our source put it, “They have to be able to pay the rent.” The word on Rickshaw Dumpling is that they didn’t generate enough revenue to cover the large space and couldn’t work out a plan to subdivide it.

So we’ve got Johnny Rockets, a new “Burger Creations” shop on the south side of 8th Street, and now Rockwell’s Express. Will their burgers be prime enough to topple the competition? Either way, 8th Street is living up to its eternally trendy reputation – though this time the big trend isn’t in shoes, but fast-casual dining.