Rockwells Express eyes Yonkers site

Prime hamburgers are coming to Yonkers if a proposed Rockwells Express receives city Planning Board approval now in the final stages, owner Stephen Robins said.

The future site of the eatery will be on Central Park Avenue next to The Tanglewood Shopping Center, Robins said.

He said it could open in four months if approved.

“The idea is quick service, but freshly prepared and highly customizable,” Robins said. “And, the customer saves on tip.”

Robins and son Marc who run Rockwells Restaurant in Pelham also signed a lease for a Rockwells Express in Manhattan, which will open at 53 E. 8th St. near New York University (NYU) this September.

The 2,500-square-foot space “has a constant flow of foot traffic,” Robins said of the NYU site. “We knew the rent would be higher than Westchester County, but the right combination of students, local businesses and residents would support our business model,” he said.

Paul Ficalora of Houlihan & O”™Malley Real Estate Services in Bronxville was engaged to represent the Robins in a joint effort transaction with Rose Associates Inc. in Manhattan, which represented the landlord.

Rockwells Restaurant Corp. in 2007 filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York, which permitted reorganization.