For about three months, Kernel was serving up plant-based burgers and vegetable side dishes on the corner of Lafayette Street and East Fourth Street. The fast food chain — which was vegan, until it began selling chicken sandwiches to meet customers’ demand for meat — was created by Steve Ells, the founder of Chipotle. Coupled with $36 million in funding and the culinary expertise of former Eleven Madison Park chef Andrew Black, Kernel seemed to be set up for success until both of its locations suddenly closed in late December. Now, the chain has redirected itself toward gourmet deli sandwiches — most of which aren’t vegan, but still are veggie-forward and perhaps even tastier than Kernel’s food.
Counter Service first opened in early February on the corner of West 14th Street and Sixth Avenue, though it began quietly offering online orders in January. The sandwich shop is currently operating out of what was formerly Kernel’s central kitchen, where much of its prep cooking was done before being transported by van to Kernel’s locations in NoHo and Flatiron. The kitchen has since been flipped into a makeshift deli counter, where Andrew Black, former chief culinary officer at Kernel, runs the show at Counter Service alongside culinary director Neil Stetz.
“We bet on a lot of things to be totally correct when we started Kernel,” Black said. “Plant-based food is delicious, but people don’t want to eat it often enough.”
Kernel, which launched in Flatiron in February 2024 and later opened a NoHo location in October 2024, made waves in the city with its vegan menu and robotic arm, used to expedite orders and reduce labor costs. But the chain struggled to see high sales throughout its 10-month tenure, temporarily closing its Flatiron location in July.
Despite that Kernel’s largely plant-based menu and digitized ordering system didn’t succeed with New Yorkers, Counter Service still follows many of its fundamental principles — veggie-forward, local sourcing, high-quality ingredients and affordable pricing — but through a more approachable menu. Eventually, Counter Service will revamp Kernel’s hub-and-spoke model as the business looks to turn all of its former Kernel restaurants into Counter Service locations.
“I think it’s actually more delicious [than Kernel],” Black said. “It’s more of a broader feel, it’s more fun and a little more interesting.”
The Counter Service menu shares Kernel’s focus on healthy eating, tinged with Black’s fine dining background and attention to detail. The shop pairs elevated flavor profiles with an old-school vibe, serving most of its sandwiches on hero bread that stays crunchy on the outside and soft and fluffy on the inside, even hours later. You won’t typically find broccoli rabe served at a New York sandwich shop — but Counter Service’s $16 Cortese sandwich pairs the bitter vegetable with thin, tender slices of house-roasted pork loin, provolone cheese and a tangy salsa verde wrapped in a fluffy sesame hero, making for a particularly well-balanced sandwich, both in flavor and texture.
In addition to Italian-style subs, Counter Service also sells five vegetarian sandwiches, including the $9 Egg + Veg, which is part of its all-day breakfast menu. Dishes like these are where Black’s attention to detail shines. While perhaps a bit too messy for an on-the-go breakfast, the sandwich’s overeasy egg is accompanied by bitter broccoli rabe, gooey provolone, bright banana peppers and spicy mayo, served on a tender housemade English muffin.
Counter Service does diverge from Kernel, however, to take a bit more creative license — the signature $17 bánh mì, though it contains less pork belly than the typical Vietnamese sandwich, is accompanied by traditional chicken pâté and thin slices of pickled carrot and radish, along with a heavy helping of fresh mint and cilantro.
Compared to the menu at Kernel, which was reserved in its exploration of other cuisines, the $6 slice of Burnt NY Cheesecake shows the quirkier side of Counter Service. The cake emulates the crust-less Spanish Basque cheesecake and is extremely moist and not too dense, tinged with a lemony tartness.
“[Stetz and I] both love Northern Spanish food,” Black said. “You don’t really see a Basque cheesecake in a sandwich shop. I think it’s fun.”
Inspired by the New York deli aesthetic, Counter Service also offers a few snacks, such as the $3 Sweet + Spicy Broken Pretzels — a spin on classic, thick New York pretzels, covered in a sweet, salty and tangy glaze.
NYU’s former Kernel location will be flipped into a Counter Service in the next four to six weeks, according to Black. While the sandwich shop is perhaps less futuristic than its robot-employed predecessor, its down-to-earth menu has given the chain more breathing room. Black is soon planning to release a smoky barbecue chicken salad and a deconstructed French toast — dishes that, perhaps in true Kernel fashion, offer a rekindled spirit of innovation.
“I think we’re a little ahead of our time,” Black said. “We set out to do this really bold thing [with Kernel] — which I think eventually, we will get back to. But we were maybe five years too early.”
Contact Lauren Ng and Roshan Rao at [email protected].
