Green Goddess Chicken Club c/o Counter Service
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A fast-casual sandwich concept launched earlier this year by Chipotle founder Steve Ells has expanded to the UES.
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Counter Service will be opening at 1302 First Avenue (at the corner of East 70th Street) on Tuesday, October 14, the restaurant has announced. The new outpost will join existing locations on West 14th Street, Park Avenue South and East 4th Street.Counter Service offers compact, ingredient-forward breakfast and lunch sandwiches designed by Andrew Black, a former chef at Eleven Madison Park. Highlights include The Baron — a roast beef sandwich dubbed a “Chef Favorite,” layered with white cheddar, watercress, and horseradish mayo — and The Smokeshow, which features house-roasted chicken tossed in smoky barbecue sauce and three types of jalapeños. For vegetarians, there’s The Gigante, a melty mix of slow-braised greens, white beans, and three cheeses.
The Baron c/o Counter Service
The Smokeshow c/o Counter Service
The Gigante c/o Simon Leung
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The menu leans elevated but still approachable, with sandwiches priced between $16 and $19. There are also $12 all-day breakfast options and sweet finishes like burnt New York cheesecake and cinnamon swirl bread pudding.
Bacon Egg & Cheese c/o Simon Leung
Burnt NY Cheesecake c/o Simon Leung
Brown Butter Chocolate Chip Cookie c/o Simon Leung
The UES opening marks another chapter in Ells’ post-Chipotle career. After a brief and costly foray into vegan robotics with a startup called Kernel — a tech-driven restaurant that shut down less than a year after launch — he pivoted to sandwiches. At Counter Service, the focus remains on efficiency and quality: house-roasted meats, good bread, minimal waste, and higher wages for fewer employees.
“I didn’t understand I was reinventing the fast-casual restaurant,” Ells once said of his Chipotle days. This time around, he’s doing it on purpose.
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