7th Street Burger is still run by the two founders who opened the original East Village stand in 2021 — but the growth is investor-fueled, with Left Lane Capital and Stripes funding a plan to reach 100 corporate-owned locations in two years. The labor picture is thin and worth watching: posted wages run $13.70–$17.55/hr across its multi-state footprint, adequate for New Jersey and Pennsylvania minimums but with no cushion above New York's $17 floor. Founder-run and PE-paced — the question is which one sets the culture as it scales.