Burger Shoppe

Before Omar Barakzay became the owner of Burger Shoppe, he was already a fan of the joint’s fresh, delicious burgers. The original owner, Saeed Mohamed, opened the shop in 2007 and Omar took over in 2012, looking for a change from his work in airport security. Omar was careful about maintaining Burger Shoppe’s well-loved brand and improving its standards. He swapped the existing seating for wooden tables with vintage-inspired chairs and added bar tables by the windows, nearly doubling seating. He also hung framed vintage magazine advertisements on the walls to create a retro-diner feel.

But he placed the greatest emphasis on improving customer service by being present on the front lines of the eatery. “You can make decisions right away — you make sure the customer is happy,” Omar says. “If they say, for example, ‘you gave me less fries,’ then I go, ‘Okay, you can have more fries. Or you can grab a drink on me.’” Being open to and present for customer feedback is part of what helped Omar keep his finances out of the red. “When I started this, I thought I was going to lose money — that I have to accept the loss. So when the first year went by I was shocked that I didn’t lose anything.”