PRINCETON: Cheeburger Cheeburger is open open

By Philip Sean Curran, Staff Writer
   George Samuelson squirted some Heinz ketchup on a two-pound hamburger that he ate with a fork and knife on Monday morning inside Princeton’s newest restaurant.
   Cheeburger Cheeburger, occupying the Nassau Street location of the former Carousel luncheonette, opened its doors Monday. The franchise restaurant is made to look like a 1950s diner, complete with a cardboard cutout of James Dean and nearly 1.3 million (yes, million) types of milkshakes.
   Cheeburger Cheeburger restaurants are located as far west as Nevada and as far south as Florida. The chain is headquartered in Ft. Myers, Fla.
   ”I think it’s going to be great,” said co-owner John Lim when asked what kind of reception he thinks the restaurant will get. Mr. Lim, a West Windsor resident who left the corporate world, already operates two other Cheeburger Cheeburger restaurants in Hamilton and Lawrenceville.
   He had had his eye Princeton for a while, and was close to reaching a deal to open one on Witherspoon Street near the public library. That deal never materialized, but he kept his interest in this market.
   So when Carousel closed its doors in November, Mr. Lim jumped at the opportunity. He said the property “never saw daylight.”
   Adam Pasieka, the other owner of Cheeburger Cheeburger, called Princeton “the ideal place for a restaurant like ours.”
   He said the restaurant is “a family place” that caters to all demographics.
   Although Cheeburger Cheeburger is known for its burgers, Mr. Pasieka said the menu has other options such as salads and chicken and portobello mushroom sandwiches.
   To give it that local feel, the restaurant has a Princeton basketball jersey hanging from one of the walls as well as a fake tiger head with what is supposed to be a large hamburger in its mouth.
   Messrs. Lim and Pasieka already are giving back to the community; the restaurant is an official sponsor of the Princeton University athletic department. As part of its patron-friendly atmosphere, Cheeburger Cheeburger celebrates the eating accomplishments of its customers.
   All kids 12 and under get their photo put on the wall if they are able to finish a half-pound hamburger. Jacob Schneider, a 9-year-old resident of Montgomery, won the honor Monday.
   As for Mr. Samuelson, he polished off a one-pound burger before starting on his two-pounder — all before noon.