New York Grilled Cheese Adapts to Market Pressures With Delivery-Only Fort Lauderdale Hub

Benny and Leor Barak launched their vision in 2016 with brick-and-mortar locations near Wilton Drive’s entertainment district, establishing a loyal customer base around their signature waffled grilled cheese sandwiches. The brothers operated restaurants in both Wilton Manors and Boca Raton before mounting commercial pressures forced a strategic pivot in their business model.

Escalating rental costs prompted the Baraks to shutter their physical storefronts and reinvent their concept as NYGC EXPRESS, a delivery-focused enterprise operating from the FTL Food Hub, a shared kitchen cooperative based in Fort Lauderdale at 1115 NE 9th Ave. “Think of it, you know, as a warehouse type of operation,” Benny Barak explained, describing the streamlined approach that prioritizes efficiency over traditional dining space.

The new model leverages third-party delivery platforms including UberEats, DoorDash, and Grubhub to reach customers, while the FTL Food Hub’s operational staff manages order fulfillment from commercial kitchen facilities. Orders are prepared and secured in designated lockers for drivers to retrieve, maintaining a rapid turnover system designed for delivery service.

Despite the absence of a traditional restaurant setting, walk-in visitors at the FTL Food Hub location can still place orders through in-house tablet ordering systems, preserving some direct customer interaction while adapting to the changing Broward County food landscape.