Pandemic Breeds New Burger Restaurant For Bed-Stuy

BED-STUY, BROOKLYN — Like many New Yorkers, Jonathan Yearwood spent a lot of time during the height of the pandemic scouring for takeout.

But unlike most who venture on a hunt for food options, the search gave Yearwood an idea — to make his own.

"While sheltering in, I wanted something good to eat besides what was being offered in my neighborhood, so I set out to create it," he told Patch.

The result, months later, is Yearwood's first restaurant, a burger shop on Fulton Street that will officially open on Friday.

Called The Burger House, the eatery is an homage to Yearwood's "southern tastebuds." The new restaurant owner was born in Atlanta, Ga. and grew up in East Flatbush.

"It's a place where you can enjoy a cozy meal for two or bring your family and friends," he said.

Yearwood — who previously ran a moving company and recording studio in Brooklyn — is one of several Brooklynites who, despite a tough year in 2020, have found new opportunities through the pandemic.

It was in part those new business owners that led him to his new 1556 Fulton St. storefront, Yearwood said.

"Growing up in Brooklyn, the Fulton Street corridor has always been the ideal place to launch and grow successful businesses," he said. "Although a few have closed because of the pandemic, there has been a wealth of new black-owned businesses that have opened."

Despite an average vacancy rate of 33 percent, a recent study found that 10 percent of businesses along Bed-Stuy's main corridors have opened in the last year.

The rate of empty storefronts was lower on streets, like Fulton Street, that have a Business Improvement District, the study found.

Yearwood will be opening his business with the Bed-Stuy Gateway BID, who will host the ribbon cutting at 1 p.m. Friday.

“Our community continues to build back better and warmly welcome this family friendly establishment to our burgeoning Fulton Street strip,” said the BID's Interim Executive Director Lynette Battle.

Among some of the neighborhood's other new businesses are an açaí bowl chain, a new flower shop and another burger shop.