Checkers Restaurant Reopens

Checkers is back in Huntington Station.

The restaurant, which closed Sept. 11, 2011, reopened March 8 under new ownership at 1680 New York Ave.

The restaurant, under franchisee Paramjit Josan, has about 22 employees working full or part time. Josan, a Queens resident, said, "We had a great experience so far; we're getting a lot of comments from people who welcome us. They're happy to see us open."

This is his fourth Checkers restaurant; he previously opened sites in Queens, Brooklyn and Manhattan.

Josan said the Huntington Station restaurant plans its grand opening in two or three weeks and plans several promotions to welcome the community.

The restaurant has been fully renovated inside with new equipment, Josan said, and the outside lighting upgraded. The entire site sparkled in Monday night's snow.

The new restaurant is part of a push by Checkers in the New York area, said Jennifer Durham, executive vice president of franchise development.

"We have seen great success in the restaurants that have opened around Long Island," she said. "The brand is really strong. I love the energy it brings" to a community.

"The great thing about New York is the developmental timeframe is really favorable. It’s a pro business environment," she said. A franchise is "a relatively low investment and it's providing jobs; it's not just good for us, it’s good for the community."

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Several leases have been secured for sites in New York City and others are under negotiation on Long Island. Other Checkers restaurants have opened recently in Massapequa and Lake Grove.

Josan said, "We are always looking for new sites; We see more growth opportunity in Suffolk County."