Burgerology closes in Patchogue

Burgerology lasted longer in Patchogue than its owners anticipated. It opened in April, 2020 in the massive location that had been Sneaky Pete’s bar with the goal of offering takeout and outdoor dining to pandemic-conscious customers. “We’re calling it a pop-up,” the local chain’s founder, Eddie Galatoulas, said at the time.

But with the lease up for renewal, Galatoulas and the company’s president, Bill Brayer, decided that a 200-seat venue deviated from Burgerology’s brand identity. “Our brand is the small, 30- to 80-seat neighborhood spot,” Brayer said. “Thinking strategically we had to admit it’s not who we are.”

Brayer came aboard a year ago precisely to think strategically about brand identity. The Shelter Island resident has more than 45 years in the hospitality business, many of them spent expanding and operating national chains such as TGI Friday’s, Brickhouse Tavern + Tap, and, closer to home, Manhattan’s 5 Napkin Burger. “What I do is take cool brands and help them to scale up at a rapid pace,” he said.

With the conversion of Massapequa’s New York Burger Bar to Burgerology (Galatoulas was a founding partner and took sole ownership of it four years ago), there are now five Burgerology locations on Long Island (Rockville Centre, Huntington, Stony Brook and Farmingdale) plus two in New York City. But the team is gearing up to expand on Long Island and beyond.

“I’ve learned that you have to be ready for growth before you do it,” Brayer said. “Right now we are working on the infrastructure and systems that we will need, but during the back half of 2024 and into 2025, we will be making our move.”

He said that the whole Interstate 95 corridor — “from Boston to Florida” — is fair game but that “we’ll likely be back in Patchogue again too.”