Janowski's Hamburgers marks 100 years in Rockville Centre
Father and son Austin and William Vogelsberg run Janowski's Hamburgers in Rockville Centre, which is celebrating a century in business. Credit: Newsday/Melissa Azofeifa
As Janowski’s Hamburgers marks its 100th year in Rockville Centre this summer, the Vogelsberg family is taking on the gargantuan task of shepherding the business into its next century: Adding Wagyu beef burgers, stepping up social media and (finally) starting nationwide shipping.
"People move to Florida, Georgia, California, wherever and we’re getting calls [asking] ‘do you guys ship’ and we just have never gotten to it," said Austin Vogelsberg, who helps his father, William, run the longtime business. "This is the summer I’m going to try and push them out."
Janowski’s started as a neighborhood butcher shop in another area of Rockville Centre in 1925 before the business expanded and moved into its current space on South Long Beach Road in 1952. Now it has a fleet of six delivery trucks as a wholesale meat distributor serving Long Island, New York City and most of the East Coast from New Jersey through Virginia.
While Janowski’s has long been known for its classic burger patties, there's also roast beef, steaks, pork sausages, loins, bacon and ribs. Other proteins include whole turkeys, a full range of chicken and halal meat. Between 12 and 15 staffers are working at any time, cutting, grinding and producing patties.
William Vogelsberg has been at the helm of Janowski’s since 2004, taking over from the original owner, Ted Janowski.
"He took a liking to me," William Vogelsberg said, recalling his start as an independent distributor there in 1995.
Business has quadrupled over the past 20 years, he said, particularly during the COVID pandemic.
"Our business went up because there [were] a lot of companies that couldn’t get meat," William Vogelsberg said.
Austin, meanwhile, has been taking steps to bring the business into more modern realms, rolling out a customer rewards program, refurbishing the company’s website and revamping its social media accounts. The family kicked off the summerlong celebration of the company's centennial milestone by launching a new product: a Wagyu beef burger. The 8-ounce patties are sold in 12-pound boxes for $119.95.
Reaching 100 years in business doesn’t come without its sacrifices, William Vogelsberg said.
"You miss a lot of celebrations because of your dedication to your business — you have to be here."
Janowski’s Hamburgers, 15 S. Long Beach Rd., Rockville Centre, (516) 764-9591, janowskishamburgers.com, Open 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday to Friday, 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturday. Closed Sunday.
Melissa Azofeifa is a restaurants reporter with Newsday's FeedMe team. Having grown up on Long Island, she loves talking about food and its impact on culture. A graduate of Stony Brook University, she joined Newsday in the fall of 2024.
