Metro, Business, Featured Story, Newton

With First Burger Bash, The Street Pulls BC Eagles to Chestnut Hill

This Friday, The Street at Chestnut Hill will host its first Burger Bash and Pep-Rally for the Boston College Eagles on the eve of their game against the University of Connecticut Huskies. The event, which runs from 6 to 9 p.m., will take place at Shake Shack where the BC community can indulge in delicious food and take part in outdoor activities.

The pre-game festivities will feature lawn games, free juice samples, and special appearances by Baldwin the Eagle and the BC cheer squad to help promote school spirit ahead of the final home football game of the season.

The event is an opportunity for students to get away from campus and venture outside of the BC bubble without breaking the bank.

Those in attendance who wear official BC gear or maroon and gold colors will be given an exclusive BC shopping pass and can avail themselves of buy-one-get-one -free burgers from Shake Shack.

This BC shopping pass also offers limited-time-only discounts to The Street’s most popular retailers, like Juice Press, Jonathan Adler, and Miniluxe.

Famous East Coast burger chain Shake Shack will serve as the primary location for the Burger Bash and Pep-Rally. The sought after fast-food joint is sure to draw in large crowds by serving their renowned burgers, fries, and custards.

Shake Shack is a natural fit to host the event as it has an already established relationship with BC. Every year, Shake Shack contributes to one of BC’s biggest events, The Red Bandana Run, by providing post-race refreshments for participants.

Annie Lagasse, the marketing and operations coordinator for The Street, believes that the event will be a way to connect with the BC community on a larger level while putting themselves on the map of places to go around campus.

The Burger Bash and pep-rally will be its largest event to date and looks to formally welcome everyone under the BC umbrella to The Street. In the future, The Street aims to maintain a close relationship with the BC community by holding regular events and involving more of its tenants.

The pep-rally aims to be a fun and festive way to bring about positive school spirit ahead of the Eagles’ final home game after a long and grueling season. Stewart Johnson, MCAS ’20, hopes to attend the event in light of Saturday’s big game.

“Our football team has had another tough season, hopefully the pep-rally can lift our spirits and guide the Eagles to a final win at home,” he said.

Lagasse views The Street as an extension of the BC community, hoping families and friends will make the The Street a more regular destination. Its close proximity to the BC campus gives students and faculty access to over 40 different retailers.

The outdoor street mall’s lively, suburban feel attracts a varied mix of students and Chestnut Hill locals. The event is an occasion for the entire community to soak up the last bit of mild fall weather before the harsh winter kicks in.

In the past, The Street has worked with specific student organizations on smaller scale events with many of its tenants hosting fundraisers for specific groups at BC. Lagasse explains that they have also benefitted from social media as a way to connect with the Chestnut Hill community.

“This will be our first small step, hoping in the future to include more of our other retailers,” she said.

Currently, The Street has an ongoing student discount program that many of its retailers participate in. Students can present their school ID’s to be allotted special perks. Considering this, Lagasse’s ambition is for The Street to establish itself as a go-to destination for students.

Lagasse sees the value in having a strong BC student presence at The Street as a boost in business, but reiterated that the event is more of a way to connect with the community and let them know what is going on.

“We are hopeful that this event will be the first step towards an even bigger relationship with Boston College,” she said.

Featured Image by Madeleine D’Angelo / Heights Editor

November 16, 2016