A popular Sault restaurant opened its doors in 2015 after the owner was part of the Bear Creek drum group with Batchewana First Nation.
"I travelled with them beginning in 1998. I tried burger places everywhere from Montana to California to Nova Scotia and everywhere in between," said Kevin Syrette, the owner of Stackburger.
"Burgers have always been part of my life.”
He then began cooking burgers for family occasions, including parties.
“One time for my niece's birthday party, one of the dads that had his daughter there came up to me and said ‘do you sell these? You should sell these.’ So I thought ‘you know what? I'll look into that.’”
After doing some research, Syrette launched Stackburger on Aug. 11, 2015.
“It was scary. A lot of restaurants fail in their first year. A lot of people said ‘just go for it’ and there were also people who said ‘that's too risky.’ I didn't go to school to be a chef.
"I went to school for social work and I thought ‘if this doesn't work at least I have my education to fall back on.’ I felt if I didn't at least try this, then I would always wonder,” Syrette said.
Any fear of not making it in the restaurant business quickly disappeared.
The Stackburger, which is a smash burger, is the eatery’s signature meal.
"That's the style that I liked when I was doing a lot of travelling. Some people have called it ‘beef candy.’”
Over the past decade, regular customers have become like family members, with Syrette watching some of them grow from children to adults.
“One story that really sticks out in my mind is a young boy who came here and would get a kids combo, which is a small burger. Today he comes in here, he's in high school and he's eating a triple,” said Syrette.
He’s grateful to have turned his passion for burgers into a successful business.
“Ten years flew by in the blink of an eye. It feels like we just opened those doors and I love what I do every day," he said.
Running a restaurant is not all smooth sailing, though.
As reported last week, Stackburger was the target of a prankster who placed a takeout order worth $430, but didn't pay for or pick up the food at the Spring Street eatery.
After Syrette and his staff chose to donate the food to local women’s shelter Pauline’s Place, an anonymous donor reimbursed Stackburger for the large takeout order.
"It just tells me of the strength of our community. It shows how the community comes together in times like that," he said.
