7th Street Burger
Fast casual burger chain · 35+ locations · NYC, NJ, CT, MA, PA, DC, MD
7th Street Burger is still run by the founders who opened its East Village smashburger stand in 2021. But private-equity fuel from Left Lane Capital and Stripes now races it toward 100 corporate-owned locations in two years.
The Big Picture
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.
The Dirty Details
Ownership
StripesGrowth Equity
Stripes is a New York growth-equity firm founded in 2008 by Ken Fox, investing in consumer brands and software companies: its portfolio spans OpenAI, A24, Monday.com, and Vuori alongside the food brands Ferret tracks. The firm typically takes minority growth stakes, though it has taken majority control in some cases.
Assets under management: $7B (2025)
See all Stripes companies on FerretLeft Lane CapitalVenture Capital
Left Lane Capital is a Brooklyn venture firm founded in 2019 by Harley Miller, managing about $3.8 billion and backing growth-stage consumer and internet businesses: GoStudent, Bilt Rewards, M1 Finance, Wayflyer and Moove sit alongside its two Ferret food brands. Blank Street is named in the firm's own portfolio, and Miller took a seat on its board in the August 2026 round. 7th Street Burger's founders credit the firm with building the infrastructure behind their expansion. Amounts and stakes are undisclosed in both cases, and the founders remain the operators.
Assets under management: ~$3.8B (March 2026)
See all Left Lane Capital companies on FerretWhat do these scores mean? Learn more.
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Company data last updated August 2026
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