Interview: Alan Rosen Owner of JUNIORS RESTAURANTS AND BAKERY

The man behind the extraordinary success of Junior's Restaurants and bakery is Alan Rosen, the third generation of the Rosen family to lead the renowned brand. Born and raised in New York, he grew up watching his father, Walter, run the original Junior's restaurant. While in high school and college, Alan spent his summers learning the business while also acting as a manager at the Brooklyn location. There was little doubt that he would one day guide the company that was founded by his grandfather, Harry, in 1950.

After graduating from Cornell University's School of Hotel Management in 1991, Alan worked at other restaurants for three years before returning to Junior's. He started off in the family's business as the Director of Marketing, with a goal of growing and expanding the business beyond the original Brooklyn location.

And grown it has. As the co-owner with his brother Kevin, Alan celebrated Junior's 50th anniversary in May 2000 by opening a second location in Manhattan's Grand Central Terminal. In 2006, Alan brought the restaurant to a successful Broadway debut when he opened a new location in the heart of Times Square. Two years later, in 2008, he opened a restaurant in the Foxwoods Tower in Foxwoods Resort & Casino. Junior's also has operations in Barclays Center in Downtown Brooklyn. In 2015, Alan expanded Junior's baking operations and opened a 103,000 sq. ft. baking facility in Burlington, New Jersey. This year has been full of exciting news for Junior's Restaurants. In 2016, a new one was opened in Boca Raton, Florida and a second Midtown location of just opened at Broadway and 49th Street.

Junior's has long been known for the "World's Most Fabulous Cheesecake" by the media, not to mention by countless celebrities, entertainers, politicians, and other notables. In fact, Junior's sells over ten million slices of their famous cheesecake each year. Alan has also grown the Junior's brand internationally. Their cheesecake is sold in Japan, France, and South Korea where two licensed retail outlets recently opened.

Today, Alan oversees the restaurants, retail bakeries, wholesale and mail order operations. As the public face of Junior's, Alan frequently appears on national television shows and he is also co-author of three books, including the best-selling "Junior's Cheesecake Cookbook: 50 To-Die-For Recipes for New York-Style Cheesecake" by The Taunton Press.

Broadwayworld.com had the pleasure of interviewing Alan Rosen about the success of Junior's.

We asked Alan what advice he has for young people who are interested in the restaurant and hospitality business. "You'd better love it. Make sure you enjoy providing hospitality to friends and family, and then plan to extend it to the public."

We talked about some of the ideals that have made Junior's a success with people since the 1950's. Alan commented, "I think what people relate to is the 67 year old tradition of making food from scratch. We even make our own chicken stock and gravies. People visit us for many reasons including their birthdays, anniversaries, group outings, pre-theatre and post-theatre. You can stop by for a full meal, a cocktail, or coffee and dessert. Our popularity is because of our history and the fact that we really provide made-to-order goodness."

We asked Alan what are some of the challenges of such a large and thriving business. "All we talk about day in and day out is offering great food and top service in a comfortable atmosphere for our guests. We don't have a script. We just want to know what people like. Guests can come to our restaurants for over 200 choices of food in a nice environment at a fair price. They know they are going to be taken care of."

Alan has had a lot of influence on the current menu. He commented, "The changes that have happened in the last 25 years have been on my watch." Some of the most recent additions that guests can enjoy are the Reuben Egg Rolls that took over 4 months to perfect and the Pastrami Smoked Salmon. Junior's Restaurants are now serving local wine from Red Hook Winery out of the tap and guests also like the option to enjoy a cocktail. Alan wants the public to know that people with dietary preferences and restrictions can always find good options on their menu.

There are now two bustling Junior's Restaurants in the Times Square area with the recent opening of the location on Broadway at 49th Street. Alan told us about some of his customer's reactions to their newest Broadway location. "So far, it's been nothing short of overwhelming. People love the new space. We already had one marriage proposal happen. It's business as usual at Junior's." He pointed out that Junior's is totally family friendly and that makes it a go-to spot with guests of all ages.

Alan told us some of his personal favorite menu items. "I love all my children the same." He added, "But I do enjoy the Brisket Melt, Broiled Salmon, Greek Salad and Romanian Tenderloin Steak. When my son orders the Chicken Parmesan, I always share some of it. I am also a fan of our chocolate cake."

We asked Alan about the future of Junior's Restaurants. He commented, "Right now we are doing what we are best at, providing a top-notch guest experience and taking care of our employees. In the coming months, we will be looking for another opportunity."

Editor's Note: Stay Tuned to Broadwayworld.com will be doing a feature piece about our experience at the newest Junior's location on Broadway and 49th Street.

Junior's Restaurant has two locations that are in the Times Square area with one 45th Street and the new location on 49th Street and Broadway. There are also restaurant locations in Brooklyn, at Foxwoods in Connecticut, and in Boca Raton, Florida. For more information on Junior's Restaurants and Junior's Cheesecake, visit: https://www.juniorscheesecake.com/.

Photo Credit: Courtesy of Junior's Restaurant

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