Shrimpy's Burrito Bar sees Success all over Long Island: East Islip Location Coming Soon
-Photo Credit: Shrimpy’s
What started as a common dream among two childhood friends has manifested into the Long Island-based fast-casual burrito spot, Shrimpy’s Burrito Bar.
-Photo Credit: LI Wave, Anthony Gagliano
With locations at 125 Front St. in Massapequa Park and 135 W Jericho Tpke. in Huntington, co-owners Ryan DiPaola and John Nasta are excited to expand their empire to East Islip this year.
This common goal between DiPaola and Nasta didn’t come to life overnight. After years of conversation and contemplation, the two finally decided it was time to pursue their dream in 2017.
“Ryan and I had wanted to get into the food industry for years, we wanted to open up some sort of a fast-casual restaurant, it was always a dream of ours,” said Nasta.
After much consideration for what direction they wanted to pursue, the longtime friends hatched the idea for a burrito joint over a game of golf. They noticed the ongoing hype over burritos and tacos at the time, and decided to hop on the trend.
-Photo Credit: LI Wave, Anthony Gagliano
“Tacos are affiliated with hot, nice weather and as much as Long Island has all four seasons, it’s still a beautiful area surrounded by water and beaches, so that definitely played a role too,” DiPaola said.
DiPaola and Nasta began concocting the plan for Shrimpy’s from an apartment they shared in 2017. When they finally had enough to work with, they got to searching for the perfect location, which DiPaola stumbled upon during his time as a physical education teacher in the Massapequa school district.
“We checked out the spot, put our menu to the test, and Massapequa grasped onto it and loved it. We’ve been there for three and a half years now,” DiPaola said.
About two years in, the Massapequa Park Shrimpy’s location was seeing lots of success. The friends decided it was time to try their hand at a second location in Huntington. With an emphasis on consistency, the two replicated their first location, and have since achieved similar success.
-Photo Credit: LI Wave, Anthony Gagliano
Continuing their pattern of achievement, DiPaola and Nasta are now looking forward to opening their third location in three years in East Islip, which is Nasta’s hometown.
The new East Islip location will be the local chain’s biggest location yet. Planning is in progress, with construction hopefully starting soon. They hope to open the location in late summer of 2021. Simultaneously, plans are in place to expand the Massapequa Park location to the property next door, which recently became vacant.
-Photo Credit: Shrimpy’s
The two have big plans for the future of Shrimpy’s Burrito Bar. They hope to bottle and sell their signature Shrimpy Sauce soon, and eventually franchise their locations as they continue to grow. Recently they have joined DoorDash, Grubhub and Uber Eats to expand their delivery options, and have acquired a food truck, which they hope to eventually use for catered events and parties.
Shrimpy’s impact on Long Island doesn’t stop at the tacos and burritos and serves. Over the course of the pandemic, DiPaola and Nasta have made sure to distribute their success to those in need. They have donated to multiple Long Island and New York City hospitals, including Cohen Children’s Medical Center, South Shore University Hospital, and North Shore University Hospital. They also held a toy drive over the holiday season, and continue to support local sports teams.
“We try to do our part by doing more than just making food”
For more information, such as hours, locations, openings and specials-- like Taco Tuesdays, Thirsty Burrito Thursdays and Burrito of the Month-- visit the Shrimpy’s Burrito Bar website, Facebook page, and Instagram.
