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| Aroostook Republican photo/Natalie Bazinet Spenser Ouellette is the new owner of Burger Boy; the iconic Caribou restaurant is slated for its seasonal reopening on Tuesday, March 12. |
By Natalie Bazinet
Staff Writer
CARIBOU — Caribou’s iconic summer eatery has a new owner.
Spenser Ouellette, originally from Van Buren, bought Burger Boy a few weeks ago and is looking forward to being involved with the greater Caribou community.
Though Ouellette says he won’t bring any drastic changes to the restaurant’s classic menu, he will be increasing hours of operation. Burger Boy is opening earlier this year, on Tuesday, March 12, and will stay open seven days a week until October or so — even later, if the weather stays nice.
“[Owning] Burger Boy has been my dream since I was 18 years old,” Ouellette said. “When I was going to college, I thought about buying this place, but at that time I didn’t have the funding; I had to work my way toward making that dream come true.”
Building the foundation to reach his dream, Ouellette received a BS in business from the University of Maine at Fort Kent and his master’s degree in business from Thomas College. Outside of academia, Ouellette has years of hands-on experience working at Tasty Food in Van Buren from 2003-08 — including about four years as a manager. While in college, Ouellette even took two courses at Northern Maine Community College to be a refrigeration technician — and now he’s licensed to work on his own equipment.
With his knowledge, know-how and enthusiasm, Ouellette is excitedly counting down the days until Burger Boy opens for the season.
“[Burger Boy] is a staple of the Caribou community — it is what Tasty Food is in Van Buren,” Ouellette explained, mentioning all the things he likes about Burger Boy — the atmosphere, food, layout and even the drive-thru system. “There’s a lot of potential with Burger Boy.”
Most of the changes Ouellette has in mind won’t take root until 2014, but Burger Boy already has an increased social media presence and, as of Monday, nearly 3,400 people had “liked” the restaurant on Facebook; Facebook friends will be able to stay current with Burger Boy’s weekly specials, promotions and giveaways.
While Ouellette is excited that the business is making so many friends online, he’s more anxious to start meeting his customers face-to-face.
“I am extremely excited to be open for the season and getting to meet our customers,” he said. “I’m excited for what the future holds.”
Future changes to the business could mean better things for the community, as Ouellette is looking to possibly stay open year-round in 2014.
“By doing so, I wouldn’t have to lay off employees,” Ouellette emphasized, expressing his aversion to layoffs. “If I can have employees working year-round, I think it would be better not just for Burger Boy, but for the employees and the community itself.”
According to Ouellette, last year the restaurant had about 15 part-time employees and roughly four full-time employees. .
This year, he’s looking to offer about 20 part-time jobs and 5 full-time jobs — and Ouellette will continue the tradition of supporting local farmers and local businesses as much as he can.
Though the new Burger Boy owner isn’t keen on changing the menu any time soon, he will be adding different dishes to the special board outside — and if the items are well-received by the community, they may find their place on the menu. Should the business stay open year-round in the future, hot beverages like cappuccino may find their way onto the menu as well. Another change slated for 2014, Ouellette is planning on some renovations to the inside of the building
Those who are excited for Burger Boy’s opening — which is about two months away — can log on to Facebook and answer the question “What is your favorite meal and dessert to eat at Burger Boy?”
