Square Burger
Moore Square, 200 South Blount Street, Raleigh
It’s not Moore Square Park, it’s Moore Square,” says Greg Hatem, whose restaurant group, Empire Eats, opened Square Burger on August 3 in that newly renovated downtown Raleigh landmark.
Square Burger, the ninth restaurant to join his empire, is not inspired by Shake Shack, though it resembles one. And it isn’t affiliated with either the SquareBurger in Philadelphia’s historic Franklin Square or the Square Burger in the historic downtown square of McKinney, Texas. (In response to the INDY’s questions, the Philly location didn’t seem concerned.)
Hatem says the name is a coincidence. His intention is not to mimic the success of other burger stands in historic parks but to educate the public on the history of the city’s squares. And, as he points out—pedantic though it may seem—Raleigh’s five squares are not parks.
In 1792, Moore Square, Nash Square, Caswell Square, Burke Square, and Union Square were designated by land surveyor William Christmas as squares, which, ironically perhaps, were modeled after Philadelphia’s system of squares.
“You hear a lot of folks—especially in the last year and a half—say ‘Moore Square Park,’” Hatem says. “It’s just Moore Square. That’s how we’ve traditionally done it here in the last two hundred years, and it’s only in the last ten where that inaccuracy crept in.” (Even the city’s website identifies the square as Moore Square Park.)
Square Burger, the first—and for now, only—kiosk that will serve food and alcohol in the square, made a successful bid in 2016 for the space. Despite the prime location, there was surprisingly little competition. A group of restauranteurs from the neighboring City Market, including partners in Stanbury and Royale, were the only other bidders.
“We were getting ready to open up Royale, so we just kind of just threw a last-minute proposal together,” says Will Jeffers, a co-owner of the two restaurants. The city had requested proposals as part of its long-in-process $13 million renovation of the square, but as Jeffers recalls, no one, aside from him (along with his partners) and Hatem, had bid. Scott Payne, the city’s interim director for parks, recreation, and cultural resources, says he was also surprised by the lack of interest.
“It’s new and unknown, and it’s a risk,” he says.
In any event, Hatem put together a thoughtful, well-defined concept, evoking nostalgia for the burgers, fries, and shakes of simpler times. He says Square Burger is inspired by the burger joints he frequented in his hometown of Roanoke Rapids some fifty years ago.
“It’s not pretentious. It’s not trying to be anything other than a great burger,” he says. “To this very day, I still go to Second Street Lunch and have a couple cheeseburgers there. It’s one of the few places that have endured, and it’s just as good today as it was back then.”
Like other Empire Eats establishments, Square Burger will offer local and seasonal fare. The menu showcases the classics with a Carolina twist: a quarter-pound burger and a hot dog served with coleslaw, chili, mustard, and onions. Crinkle-cut fries and handcrafted chocolate, vanilla, strawberry, or salted caramel milkshakes. In addition, vegetarians can enjoy a Boca Burger or grilled cheese, and those seeking lighter options can order a grilled chicken sandwich, a chicken Cobb salad, or a Caesar salad. There’s also a selection of wine and beer.
Much like at a traditional burger shack, patrons can pick up their orders at an outside window, and just like at Shake Shack and the other Square Burgers, guests can sit and eat at movable tables and chairs or on a blanket on the grass.
Square Burger is open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 10:00 p.m. on Friday and Saturday; however, it will close at 6:00 p.m. in the fall and winter.
Hatem, who in 2015 led efforts to curtail what he viewed as DTR nightlife’s excesses, says Square Burger won’t serve late-night, but ultimately, regulating those hours is the city’s responsibility.
During August, all profits will go toward food-insecurity programs like BackPack Buddies. The menu also offers a “Square Deal Meal”—burger, fries, and drink for $9—a nod to a famous speech that, according to Hatem, was delivered by President Theodore Roosevelt on a visit to Raleigh in 1905.
“When I say a square deal,” Roosevelt said, “I mean a square deal; exactly as much a square deal for the rich man as for the poor man; but no more. Let each stand on his merits, receive what is due him, and be judged according to his desserts. To more he is not entitled, and less he shall not have.”
Hatem, a prominent developer, finds the quote as relevant today as it was then. The focus for his real estate company, Empire Properties, he says, is revitalization, restoration, preservation, and community building.
“Restaurants are a huge part of it,” he says, “because it brings people in and keeps people in town and gives it the energy you need to make a real community.”
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