By Jennifer Glickel
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MORNINGSIDE HEIGHTS — Columbia University students will have another local dining option when popular burger joint Five Guys opens near campus in the near future.
The restaurant will be the chain's sixth in New York City and will open at 2847 Broadway between 111th and 112th Streets, according to Newmark Knight Frank Retail, the real estate group involved with the deal.
"The area surrounding Columbia University is one of the most in demand retail destinations in the city, with its strong mix of residents, students and burgeoning retail and nightlife component," Jeffrey Roseman, executive vice president at Newmark Knight Frank, said in a statement.
"We had a tremendous amount of interest in the location, and felt Five Guys was the natural fit and would service the area's population well."
A representative for Newmark Knight Frank said that, while the opening date was not confirmed, the space's broker had said the restaurant would open in the next 30 days. DNAinfo reported last November that the popular chain was coming to the neighborhood.
Columbia University students didn't predict that the Five Guys opening would spark a neighborhood burger war with Mel’s Burger Bar, which opened six months ago across the street from the proposed Five Guys location.
"Mel's burgers tend to be overpriced for my taste, so if Five Guys presented itself as a cheaper alternative it could certainly take a chunk out of Mel's business," Columbia College student Tony Baker told the campus newspaper, the Columbia Spectator.
"However, Mel's also seems to have focused more on their nightlife scene this semester, as evidenced by the recent Frat DJs parties and other events that have been held there. If they can carve out that niche and be less dependent on burgers for their revenue, they’ll be fine."
