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Nor'easter shuts down Merrick burger restaurant less than 2 months after it opened

The restaurant on Bayberry Avenue sustained significant water damage over the last few days.

Jonathan Gordon

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Sep 29, 2026, 12:35 PM

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A South Shore Nassau County restaurant closed after this weekend's nor'easter flooded the building less than two months after it officially opened.

Betty's Burgers and Ice Cream Bar owner John Breazzano said the kitchen equipment, dishwasher and ice cream machines were all destroyed.

"We're just assessing the damage still," he told News 12 in a statement.

The burger spot on Bayberry Avenue off the East Bay in Merrick opened in early August.

"Hopefully they'll get going soon," Open Bay Marina owner Cliff Hochhauser said. "They were here yesterday cleaning up, so give them a couple of days and hopefully they'll get moving again."

Pictures and videos from outside Betty's Burgers and Ice Cream Bar show a significant amount of water being pumped out from inside the restaurant and flooding the surrounding property over the weekend.

Merrick neighbors said their homes were mostly okay, but the dead-end part of Bayberry Avenue received significant flooding.

"There was just nothing we could do," Merrick resident Joe DeRogati said. "Just being helpless and looking at it flooded."

Breazzano said they will rebuild and be back soon.

"We thank all for the kind, heartfelt words during this tough time," he added in a statement.

There's no timeline for when the restaurant may open.

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