David Schmidt and Sam Zaretsky are two years into making their longtime dream come true.

The two Massapequa residents, who have been friends since they were both in seventh grade, have spent the last two years managing Burger 9 Point 5, located on Merrick Avenue.  According to Schmidt, the men had wanted to go into business together, and when they saw the opportunity they jumped at it.

Burger 9 Point 5 specializes in sandwiches and burgers with a great variety of toppings to go along with them. Many of the toppings are "customer-inspired," Schmidt said.

"Customers tell us what they want on their burgers and then we try out the new suggestions and often come up with new ideas," he said.

Examples of such exotic creations include "The Harrison," a spicy topping that includes chipotle peppers, Cajun spices, and melted mozzarella. Another favorite topping is "The Rodeo," which is made up of BBQ sauce, melted cheddar cheese and onion rings. There is even a burger topping that consists of guacamole and roasted tomato known as "The Jorge."

In addition to their varied assortment of toppings, the owners of Burger 9 Point 5 also boast a wide range of burger meats including bison, spiced lamp, fresh ground turkey and fresh ground beef. There is even a vegetarian burger made from scratch.

"We make things as fresh as possible," Schmidt said.

Before Schmidt and Zaretsky became owners of Burger 9 Point 5, it was known as the Hoghouse BBQ. The former owners eventually renamed the location and transformed the venue into the burger joint that it has now become.

During that time, the only kind of burger that was offered was the 9.5 ounce burger and the toppings offered were, as Schmidt described, "exotic toppings such as faux gras and bone marrow that tended to be very expensive."

When he and Zaretsky bought the eatery, not only did they decide to produce a varied selection of burger sizes, but they also made the point to offer more "mainstream" toppings.

For Schmidt, this is his first experience working in the food business. Prior to his current work, he was employed as a police officer in NYC and he has also worked in many corporate positions. He said that Zaretsky had already been involved in managerial work for restaurant chains such as Wendy's and Nathan's.

Zaretsky was unavailable for comment.

Even though he's new to the food business, Schmidt is happy with the way the partnership has turned out and is excited for what the future may bring.

"We're hoping to expand to another locale," Schmidt said, "but we definitely do not want to leave the area. We've created a comfortable atmosphere here in Merrick where our customers have become a part of a family."