South Burlington, Va. (WCAX) – There’s no shortage of good food in our area, especially when it comes to food trucks, but one new venture is attracting a devoted fan base. What started as a high school group of friends cooking their favorite foods has grown into a very successful business today.
Summer vacation is coming to an end for many Vermont students, but this summer was far from vacation for the Mt. Mansfield Union juniors who threw hamburgers and threw their schedules in between.
Adam Weinstein, Shae Smith, and Ryan O’Neil are co-owners of Gloryburger. This is his second year they have been in business. Before hooking up the trailer, the boys started with a tent and a table.
“We were into street food stalls and they sold food like that. Maybe,” Smith said.
Coming from a family passionate about good food, Weinstein and Smith say they’ve always loved cooking. “Look, whatever we were feeling. Kind of like fast food — Philly cheesesteaks, fried chicken, bagels,” Weinstein said.
“We made bagels and made eggs Benedict,” added Smith.
So when the two decided to sell the grub, they enlisted O’Neil’s help. “I liked it and wanted to help expand it. I wanted to add fries. So that’s what got me on board,” O’Neill said.
Together, these burger boys bought a flatbed trailer during the winter, built it into what it is today, and traveled throughout the Burlington area sharing food.
A sandwich from the cart will set you back about $9-$13.
Adam Weinstein: Yes, we’ve been told to raise prices, but…
Shay Smith: Yes. They used to be cheaper. It’s kinda, I don’t know, it’s kinda part of us…
Adam Weinstein: Yeah, we like to keep them cheap.
Despite these burger buzz, these guys have no interest in working in the food industry.
Shay Smith: So the food industry is notorious for…
Ryan O’Neil: It’s a tough place to work.
Shay Smith: Yeah, so none of us really want to be like chefs.
Ryan O’Neil: It’s not that I don’t want to own chain stores or anything like that.
For now they are working. Your friend will be working more than 12 hours a day. “Some of our peers who have regular jobs may work the same hours if they work all week. Maybe,” said Smith.
However, they agree that there is value in being the boss and taking responsibility themselves. And cash isn’t bad either. “It’s definitely worth it at the moment,” Weinstein said. “We are at a point where we can sort of…”
“Keep the business going,” added O’Neil.
As for the name, friends say they chose Gloryburger because they ran out of time.
Eat burgers at Veterans Memorial Park in South Burlington on Thursday nights from 5-8pm as part of the weekly SoBu Night Out.
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