Grill Kings of New York

Brooklyn-born Frank Rolon (aka the “Grill King”) has been around New York street food his entire life. Born and bred in New York City, Frank grew up around the city’s famous hot dog carts and delis. Since moving to Melbourne in 1990 he has craved the flavours of his home town and the wide variety of street food found in all five boroughs of the Big Apple.

Convinced that he could bring the flavours of New York to Melbourne, Frank began creating the tastes that would eventually feature on the menu of his new retail store.

The team behind the aptly named “Grill Kings of New York” has spent the last three years trialing the menu at various high paced events including Melbourne’s popular Moomba Festival. After overwhelming crowd feedback like “this is the best Philly Steak I have ever tasted!” it became obvious that the next step was to open a retail outlet.

After much research, the new Northland dining precinct was the chosen venue for the very first store in Australia due to its diverse clientele base and the newly renovated Entertainment & Lifestyle Precinct that offers customers a wide choice of cuisines.

The Grill Kings of New York Northland, which opened recently with much anticipation, has a unique menu that features slow cooked meats in home-style marinades, and items that pay homage to famous NYC landmarks.

Grill Kings of New York creator and founder says, “Patrons can be transported to New York City in literally one bite when they try our New York Style ‘Heros’ such as the ‘Grand Central’ (Philly Cheese Steak), ‘Gotham Pork’, (pulled pork) and ‘Liberty Lamb’ (shredded lamb). And our waffle fries and onion rings complement the make-your-own hot dogs and the choice of three typical New York style side salads for those looking for a lighter meal. The feedback we’re getting is phenomenal, and this is just the beginning.”

The store has been fitted out with floor to ceiling images of Times Square and a giant deconstructed traffic light completes the décor. It’s the closest you’ll get to New York without having to hop on a plane!

Grill Kings is already making waves amongst the local community. You can find Frank front of house most days of the week, greeting customers with a warm, personal welcome. Patrons will never be given a number to collect their food. Instead, staff training focuses on engaging with customers through real conversation. If the feedback is any indication, plans to open stores nationally will come to fruition in the not too distant future.