Two New Fast Food Restaurants Open on Nassau Street

Nassau Street has long had a diverse array of culinary options, but one category — fast food — has seen several recent additions. Over the summer, two new fast food restaurants, Hotbirds and 7th Street Burger, opened in prominent locations on the thoroughfare. 

Hotbirds, which opened its doors in August, is a Nashville-style hot chicken eatery with two locations – the first being in Montclair, NJ. 7th Street Burger opened in July just a block down from Hotbirds. Per its website, the burger joint’s Princeton location represents one of its 37 locations along the East Coast. The new additions join three other fast food joints that opened on Nassau last winter – BurgerRunn, Food Street, and Best Grill and Fries.

Robin Lapidus, the Executive Director of Experience Princeton, a nonprofit that promotes Princeton’s economy and culture, said these new fast food restaurants represent natural turnover of businesses in town. “We've always had burger places that were counter service and sandwich shops and pizza and chicken and Mexican, Mediterranean, so I'm not really sure that I would call this a new trend,” Lapidus told The Daily Princetonian. “We've seen a lot of really exciting business turnover, where something that was not as well loved was kind of phased out, and something more desirable to the people who are here today has come in.” 

While recent openings are dominated by more casual options, Lapidus said that change in Princeton’s culinary scene is nothing new. “I think that our property owners are an interesting and diverse group of people, and that they do try to attract brands and businesses that'll be exciting for the people who live here and work here and visit,” Lapidus told the ‘Prince.’ 

Students interviewed for this article praised the price, convenience, and hours of the new stores. 7th Street Burger and Hotbirds, along with other fast food joints in Princeton, offer prices lower than most other restaurants on Nassau Street. 

“We think it’s a really good thing and that we should get more fast [food] places,” Amber Deol ’28 said about more fast service restaurants moving into town. 

“I’ve been to 7th Street before, and many of my friends have multiple times since it’s opened, so it’s really good, and I feel like it’s open pretty late,” Katelynn Lee ’28 told the ‘Prince.’ 7th Street Burger is open until midnight, and Hotbirds is open until 10 p.m. every night. 

The popularity of the new restaurants extends beyond University students. “Our opening has been strong, with a healthy mix of Princeton University students, local residents, and repeat visitors. We saw excitement leading up to opening, and that momentum has continued in the months since,” Sarah Milner, Marketing Manager of 7th Street Burger, wrote in a statement to the ‘Prince.’

A Hotbirds manager did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

“I think it’s delicious. Sometimes things that are simple, especially if it’s quality, you don’t really need to do much to it,” Victoria Jackson, a local resident who grew up in Princeton, said of 7th Street Burger. The restaurant sells just three cheeseburger variations and fries, and its website notes it places an emphasis on quality and simplicity. 

Jackson thinks the new restaurants are a welcome development for University and high school students. “I think it's good for them because sometimes you're looking for a quick pick-me-up, or you want to pick up something quickly, or try something new,” she said.

Several students interviewed expressed support for the new restaurants and having greater access to convenient meal options. Some noted that the quick service of these restaurants provides a good opportunity to grab food between classes, meetings, and study sessions without having to commit a block of time for a full sit-down meal. With both restaurants open late, they act as a hub for students to gather and meet up long after most of the street has gone dark. 

These new openings demonstrate that Princeton is an attractive location for potential restaurants, according to Lapidus. “Princeton is definitely trending in the restaurant world, and there are a lot of places that have become successful in other towns that really want to move to Princeton,” she said. 

“Princeton felt like the natural next step for us — its established and vibrant downtown center reaches a diverse customer base made up of students, faculty, visitors, young professionals, and local residents,” Milner wrote.

The mix of classic restaurants with new ideas is something that helps make the Princeton restaurant scene special, according to Lapidus. “I think we do a good job of keeping the beloved businesses in business and getting fresh concepts,” she said. 

While Hotbirds and 7th Street Burger represent the ‘fresh concepts’ at the moment, time will tell if they one day join the ranks of Princeton’s ‘beloved businesses.’ 

Walker Vivian is a reporter-in-training for the ‘Prince’ from Maine. 

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.