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Date: 12/12/2023
EASTHAMPTON — In a post to their social media on Dec. 2, Local Burger announced that they are opening another location in Easthampton at the former Riff’s Joint in Eastworks on Pleasant Street.
In an interview with Reminder Publishing, Jeff Igneri, the owner of Local Burger, said the plan is to open at the location sometime in mid-January.
“It seems like a good feel there, a good vibe there, a good community feel there,” Igneri said, of the Eastworks spot. “All the artists there and the residents that they have, it’s just seems like a good fit for us, what we’re all about.”
Local Burger is a family-owned and operated restaurant famous for their burgers, fries and shakes. On its Facebook page, the restaurant describes its food as such: “it’s not just fast food-it’s good fast food!”
The community favorite currently has three locations open, including one in Northampton, one in Keene N.H., and a seasonal spot residing in Haydenville. The Northampton location is positioned downtown at 16 Main St.
Igneri said the plan at the new Easthampton location is to start with a menu similar to Northampton’s Local Burger, along with a few additions like wraps and salads. Once the restaurant fully develops all its nuances, the menu will then evolve a little bit more.
“Going in, we want to go with what we’re used to along with a few additions, and then develop from there,” Igneri said.
According to Igneri, the restaurant has wanted to expand to Easthampton since before the coronavirus pandemic. He said they looked at multiple locations along the way.
“It’s been a long time coming,” he added.
Igneri added that a big reason why he wanted to open another location is to reward many of his long-term dedicated employees by “helping them grow.” For example, Angel Cornejo, who has been working with Local Burger for 15 years, will be part owner of the new Easthampton spot.
Other longtime employees are taking managerial positions in Local Burger locations, too, according to Igneri.
The social media announcement for this development garnered widespread community excitement. As of Dec. 5, the Facebook post accumulated over 2,000 likes and over 200 comments with the majority of them showing support.
“We’re just overwhelmed by the support that we’ve had from our Facebook posts,” Igneri said.
A main goal for Igneri over the coming months is to expand the customer base he has already developed from the other locations.
“Eastworks feels like it’s a community and we want to try to be a part of that community and help grow there,” he said.
According to Igneri, the other Local Burger locations will continue to remain open.
As for Riff’s Joint, the longtime Easthampton fixture announced in August that they were officially closing for good in September due to what they described as “employee attrition and continued challenges in the restaurant industry in the area of staffing.”
“Over the last 14 years we have had the opportunity to meet and serve so many great people from the surrounding areas and beyond and are truly grateful for the many friendships that have developed and the continued support throughout,” read their Facebook post announcement in August.
The famous restaurant is now operating a food truck with Myers Catering using some of their original menu items.