Business Beat: Jack’s New York System, a dream come true – Brendan Higgins

March 18, 2025/Brendan Higgins

by Brendan Higgins, contributing writer

Some people know at a very young age what they want to accomplish in life. Robert Link is one of those people. He always wanted to own his own restaurant. Not just any restaurant, Link wanted to own a New York System. If you are from Rhode Island, you know about these iconic establishments. If you are not from the Ocean State, I suggest you Google it.

Link grew up in Cranston. He comes from a well-known Irish/Italian family. He is one of thirteen children. He has seven sisters and five brothers, of which he is the third oldest. He recalled, “I always worked. From eleven years old on. I worked as a painter for my father, (the late) John Link. His company did commercial and residential work. Both interior and exterior. That was where I learned the ropes.

I also worked for other people over the years. In 1982, I started what would become a very long run in the restaurant business. I worked at the hot wiener joint on Reservoir Avenue. It was called the Weiner Man at the time. At one point they changed the name to Olneyville New York System. I worked there from 1982 to 1993. I was the night manager for ten years. I worked at Coney Island New York System on Taunton Avenue in East Providence for two years. I worked at the original Olneyville New York System for eight years. I worked at Gus’s Doughboys in Oakland Beach for ten years. Eventually they changed the name to Iggy’s. I was always painting during the day, and cooking at night”

During those years, the nightlife in Rhode Island was booming. Club goers ended their nights at either a breakfast place like Bickford’s or the New York System. After all, a night of drinking, dancing and carousing would give anyone a big appetite. People would flock to Link’s location resulting in a line out the door. He had far too many stories to share in this article. Maybe someday they will all be told in a book. For now, let’s just say Link has seen it all.

He continued, “Along the way, I met (the late) Jack Gionis. His family owned Governor Dyer Buffet House back in the day. I worked a lot of different places with Jack, including Triggs Golf Course, 1149, Andrea’s and The Gentleman’s Farmer. When I took a job as a short order cook in 1982, and I took a liking to it. It became very easy to me. It is a passion of mine. I learned everything on the job. I did enjoy working for other people, but I always knew one day I would have my own hot wiener joint and here I am today making that a reality. I’ve been talking about this since I was a teenager.”

At one point, Link stepped away from working in kitchens and embarked on a new venture. He opened a food truck in downtown Providence. From Thursday through Saturday nights, he parked at the corner of Richmond and Friendship Streets and continued his successful run in the food industry. He recalled, “This was mostly the night club crowd. It was very interesting. Wild things go on in the city late at night. Thank God I knew all the cops. We were right in the middle of it all. Places like Club Hell and The Keg Room were rocking back then. We would keep selling as long as we could. It was a successful period in my career until they changed the laws making it hard to stay in business. I closed the truck and made painting my main thing until I had the opportunity to open Jack’s New York System.”

During the years Link was away from his passion of cooking, he never gave up on the dream of opening his own restaurant. Then fate would come knocking. Link had an opportunity to lease the space he needed to open his dream establishment. However, this would not come easily. There were some bumps in the road that were predictable but there was one that nobody had a crystal ball to foresee.

Around the time Link signed his lease for his new restaurant located at 827 Park Avenue, in Cranston, everyone started talking about something called the coronavirus. Just three months after signing his lease, Link was forced to close his restaurant before it ever had a chance to open. At the time, situations like these were not uncommon. It was sink or swim for most. Some people tragically lost everything. For the next three years, Link paid the lease on his new restaurant but was unable to open. He could have walked away, but he knew this was the time and place for his lifelong dream to become a reality. He would not be denied.

Link said, “I always wanted this. While I was closed during the pandemic, I remodeled the place from top to bottom. During the inspection process there were more issues to deal with. Once I passed inspection I was able to open. At the end of February, in 2024, I was finally open. It has been nothing short of a rollercoaster ride, but I’m paying the bills. You really can’t predict this business. We never know who will be coming through the door from day to day. I asked Link how he landed on this location for his restaurant. His answer is what Hollywood movies are made of.

He said, “For nearly 20 years, my mother (the late Anna Mae Link) came here twice a day. She sat in the back booth. That’s her photo on the wall above the booth. She would come in with all my brothers, sisters, nieces, nephews and her grandchildren. From the early nineties until 2011 she came here. There were several different owners over the years but she was always here. That’s her photo on the wall of fame.”

Prior to signing his lease, while the space was vacant, Link was paying close attention. For almost five years the space remained closed. The long storied history of this once busy establishment dating back to 1959, had been run into the ground. The equipment was junk. There was nothing to salvage from previous decades of operation. The last version of the restaurant was City Hall Diner. At this point, the diner was a distant memory.

Link looked into the possibility of reopening with his vision of what a New York System should look and feel like. Link knew what he was in for. He was not deterred. He signed a lease and went to work. He personally remodeled the building. I can tell you from first-hand experience, after jumping through every conceivable hoop put in his path, when he finally did reopen, Link knocked it out of the park.

The décor is authentic and strategically placed. Everywhere you look there is something fun going on. From the vintage Coca Cola memorabilia to the Coke refrigerator to the coffee milk machine, everything has Link’s personal touch. From the dining area to the kitchen, the entire place is immaculate. There is something on the walls that will touch the heart of anyone who comes through the door. If you grew up in the area even more so.

Then of course, there’s the menu. In addition to the delicacy known as hot wieners, you can enjoy burgers, steak sandwiches, grilled chicken, french fries, onion rings, mozzarella sticks and Link’s famous fish and chips. You will not leave hungry after a visit to Jacks. Link added, “Everyone says how good the food is. The reason my wieners are so good is the meat sauce. I have a secret recipe that I perfected back when I had the food truck. I stuck with the recipe all these years. Come in and see for yourself. You’ll see how delicious everything is.”

As for the clientele, you never know who will be stopping in next. Link explained, “We had Judge Frank Caprio stop in. We had Vic Dibitetto. Mayor Ken Hopkins is a regular. My friend Providence City Councilman James Taylor stops in. We even had Dawn the Duck.”

Link has paid his dues in full to be where he is today. Along with his daughters Megan, Ashley and his granddaughter Mia, they look forward to serving you soon. Link added, “I appreciate everyone who comes through that door. I went through a lot to get to this moment. It feels good. My dream came true.”

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To read all stories by Brendan, here, go to: https://rinewstoday.com/brendan-higgins