The Moynihan Train Hall has been one of the most highly anticipated New York public works projects this decade. Proposed in the very early 1990’s, the concept had been jumping back and forth between committees for nearly two decades before finally opening this year.
Replacing the iconic James A Farley Post Office building (designed by the legendary turn-of-the century architectural firm McKim, Meade & White), the Moynihan Train Hall has been in development for what felt like an eternity to locals. Providing some much needed relief to the overcrowded Penn Station, the Moynihan Train Hall was expected to be one of the biggest projects in the neighborhood since the original station was demolished and rebuilt in 1963. When construction of the new hall finally began in 2017, it wasn’t until January 1st of this year that it officially opened to the public.
Now, while locals agree that the new hall is a substantial improvement over the old station, it’s missing a few critical restaurants and chains that can help it become the world-class train hall it was destined to be. As part of the effort to make that happen, Burger Joint, Brazil’s hyper-popular burger chain, will be occupying the Moynihan’s Food Hall Stall #31.
Originally founded as a secret restaurant in the back of Le Parker Meridien, Burger Joint accrued popularity as a kind of burger-speakeasy, a place that could only be found by people who knew what they were looking for. Outside of New York, the chain became extremely popular in Brazil, where they operate 10 different locations in Sao Paolo and Rio de Janeiro. Outside of Brazil, the only other Burger Joint in operation is at Industry City Brooklyn, meaning that the new Moynihan stall would be the third Burger Joint to ever launch in the US.
Burger Joint is popular for its unfussy, greasy burgers that harken back to a different era of food service. There was always an ironic twist, pairing a hole-in-the-wall styled burger restaurant with the prestigious Parker Meridien, but that kind of irony was exactly what fueled their decades of popularity.
