Popular New York-Style Burger Joint Opens In Fairfield

FAIRFIELD, CT —Flat Out Burger, a New York-based smash burger restaurant, has opened at 58 Post Road in Fairfield after expanding its presence into Connecticut through the Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater in Bridgeport.

Fairfield First Selectwoman Christine Vitale joined Flat Out Burger co-founder and owner Anthony Santorelli and fellow owners Rob Devlin and Paul Gasparrini at the restaurant Wednesday to welcome the business to town.

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"We are here at the corner of Post Road and Grasmere Avenue in Fairfield, welcoming Flat Out Burger to town," Vitale said. "It just smells delicious. So I can't even wait to try it."

Santorelli said Flat Out Burger began in Brooklyn about a year and a half ago and expanded to Manhattan about four months ago. The business has also operated at the Bridgeport amphitheater since May, helping introduce the brand to Connecticut customers.

The owners were already familiar with Fairfield County because of their ties to Westchester County, New York. They toured the Fairfield property after it went on the market last year and saw the location as a potential draw for customers from both Fairfield and Bridgeport's Black Rock neighborhood.

"We felt as if it was a good center point to pull from Black Rock and Fairfield," Santorelli said.

The location also benefits from nearby housing and pedestrian traffic, he said. The space had previously been occupied by a hair salon.

Flat Out Burger specializes in smash burgers, with Santorelli describing the restaurant's food as bringing a New York City approach to the Fairfield market. Click here to view the menu.

"I think it's something that's new for Fairfield and Connecticut," Santorelli said. "I think that there's a lot of burger uses, obviously, but there is a specific smash burger, and we really are bringing a New York City flavor to Connecticut."

The Fairfield restaurant opened Aug. 15 without a traditional grand opening. Santorelli said the company typically opens its restaurants quietly and relies on customers discovering them rather than conducting large marketing campaigns.

"We try to pride ourselves on being a neighborhood-based space," Santorelli said. "We like to be tasteful with how we outreach to the community, and we want all of our traffic to come organically."

Santorelli said the company may hold a celebration after the restaurant has had time to establish itself in Fairfield.

The response from the area has been strong so far, he said, including interest from people who encountered Flat Out Burger at the Bridgeport amphitheater.

"The support has been overwhelming and much appreciated, seriously," Santorelli said.

Flat Out Burger is also continuing to expand in New York, with Santorelli saying another Williamsburg location was expected to open within weeks.

Additional Connecticut restaurants are possible, he said. Santorelli identified Stamford as a potential market because of its location between Westchester County and Fairfield, while also noting New Haven as another market that could have potential.