According to Stephen Hanson and B.R. Guest Restaurants, the flagship opening of Bill's Bar & Burger in Rockefeller Center is slated to open in May 2010. After much success and praise of the Meatpacking District location, Bill's Bar & Burger will bring its burgers to one of the city's premier destinations.
B.R. Guest Restaurants has inked a deal with Tishman Speyer, co-owner of Rockefeller Center, for a space that is approximately 10,000 s/f (4,866 s/f on the street level and 5,022 s/f on the concourse level). The restaurant will be located between 50th and 51st Sts. and Fifth and Sixth Aves. on two levels. Bill's Bar & Burger flagship will be joining other 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.
"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," said Hanson, president and 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.

Since opening its first restaurant in 1987, B.R. Guest founder Stephen Hanson and his team have redefined the restaurant experience through an emphasis on hospitality and quality. Current B.R. Guest properties in New York City include Atlantic Grill, Blue Fin, Blue Water Grill, Dos Caminos Park, Dos
Caminos Soho, Dos Caminos Third, Isabella's, Ocean Grill, Primehouse New York, Ruby Foo's Times Square, Vento Trattoria, Wildwood Barbeque, 206 Spring Street Events and, most recently, 675 Bar. B.R. Guest locations outside of New York include Fiamma Trattoria in the MGM Grand and Dos
Caminos at the Palazzo Resort Hotel Casino in Las Vegas. In 2007, Hanson formed a joint venture with
hospitality giant, Barry Sternlicht and his Starwood Capital Group, as part of its Starwood Opportunity
Fund 7. Also in 2007, B.R. Guest reinforced its commitment to the environment by becoming the first national multi-concept restaurant group to be certified green by the Green Restaurant Associationâ„¢. B.R. Guest's commitment to service and hospitality is also evident through its dedication of time and resources to community-based organizations including Publicolor Board Member, City Harvest, Share Our Strength, City-Meals-On-Wheels, Memorial Sloan Kettering, American Cancer Society, World Wildlife Federation, PENCIL, Momentum AIDS Project, American Heart Association and The James Beard Foundation. Tags: