Business story of Bus Burger

BUSINESS STORY OF BUS BURGER 

A short distance from Lahti, along Vanhan Heinolantie, an incredible sight opens up: an American-style gas station, with yellow school buses parked in its yard. On top of the gas hood looks like an old Yankee iron. It's not a mirage. The place turns out to be a hamburger place, where a carload of hungry travelers can enjoy the most delicious and Yankee-style generous portions in addition to a special environment.  

Unbeatable concept

Bus Burger is a food place for the whole family in the middle of nowhere, conceived by Eeva Laajoki and her husband Ismo Siitonen. Eeva says that she has always been interested in cooking. After running a take-out restaurant for 15 years, the couple was inspired by chance to rent an old gas station and try something completely new.  

- Until then, we had worked in Kaapinlähtenkievari, offering party and catering services, Eeva says. The old Teboil gas station, located about 10 km from Lahti, had remained empty, and the property owner was feverishly looking for new tenants. The task was not easy. The premises had been rented by several cafe entrepreneurs after another, but the remote location did not contribute to the success of the business. However, Eeva and Ismo decided to stop by to look at the property.  

- After arriving at the place, we immediately started to think about what would fit best here, and we decided that it would be a Yankee diner! Many people thought the idea was completely crazy, and eyebrows were raised even at the bank. However, the risks were small, and the lease was reasonable. The marketing efforts of the new Yankee restaurant remained modest. Flyers were distributed in the local area. After all, a small announcement about a new restaurant was placed in the local newspaper. It was spring 2013. Eeva and Ismo couldn't believe their luck: - As soon as we opened, the restaurant was packed. And this was repeated day after day, Eeva recalls. 

Time to expand 

As the summer went on, the sales curves only rose, and soon it was necessary to start thinking about where to get additional space for the ever-growing number of customers. At the time, Eeva's sister lived in the USA, in New Orleans, and the couple decided to go there to get new ideas for their construction project. - One day we were sitting in a street cafe when my attention was drawn to the yellow school buses. They are pretty and easily distinguishable. I was wondering if we could build additional seats for our restaurant from this, says Eeva. After a few days, they were already the happy owners of a school bus. Instead, they hadn't given a single thought to how to get the bus to Finland. Many twists and turns soon appeared in the project. The first question was how to get the bus transported to the port in Finland for chartering. Shipping also turned out to be surprisingly expensive. The bus didn't even fit in the container, but had to be transported on the ship's deck. When, after many twists and turns, the bus was finally brought home to the gas station yard, the battle against the bureaucracy began. - We had planned to just open the end wall of the restaurant building and reverse the bus from there into the building, he points out.

However, it was not quite that simple. It turned out that no one else had ever done anything like it; it was a precedent. One official after another came to marvel at the project, and everyone seemed to have a slightly different view on the matter. The only way to move forward in the situation was to build a new additional wing to the building, because the bus was considered a fire safety risk. I saw this despite the fact that it is metal. Fortunately, new toilets were added to the wing at the same time, so the investment was not wasted. The work was finally completed, and everyone was satisfied: both the entrepreneurs and the authorities. However, the customers were the most excited about the bus, and social media was soon filled with pictures taken by eager visitors. Bus Burger had made it onto the world map.  

Bus Gelato and other ideas - At some point we wanted to include ice cream in our concept. I ordered it from a domestic supplier, because they had fun Yankee flavors, such as Apple Pie and Cheese Cake, Eeva says. However, problems began to arise with the availability of ice cream, and Eeva decided to find out what opportunities they had to make their own ice cream. In his mind, he envisioned Italian gelato, and a few weeks later found himself in Italy learning how to make it.

Currently, Bus Burger has its own Bus Gelato brand, which is sold to cafes and restaurants all over Finland. In the future, ice cream is also planned to be sold in cans. Over the years, more buses have appeared in the gas station yard. One of them, the aforementioned ice cream bus, Bus Gelato, was at the Hietalahti market last summer and the reception was excellent. On the other hand, the Party Bus, which is permanently standing in Bus Burger's yard, can be rented for your own parties or cookies. Corona restrictions have disciplined the restaurant industry with a heavy hand. Unfortunately, this can be seen, for example, in the availability of employees. If Eeva could wish for anything, it would be a steady flow of customers.  

- Summertime is the peak season for us, when sales increase tenfold compared to the winter season. It is clear that personnel are needed in the same proportion. This causes a bit of a headache, as hiring permanent staff is difficult due to the large seasonality, he states.

In summer, labor is also needed for various summer cafes, and the competition is fierce. In general, the sector is already suffering from a labor shortage. And even if there were people available for the hall, finding a chef is already more difficult. - Chefs can also feel that the job description of a burger place is too narrow, even though we prepare a lot of other things and from scratch ourselves. So, in that sense, the chef's work plays a big role at Bus Burger, he sums up.  

Generous portions in Yankee style, Bus Burger, located along Kymppitie, has established itself as a popular tourist destination. The restaurant's relaxed atmosphere and rich selection attract customers from far away. Hamburgers will be enjoyed here, of which the Bacon Burger is by far the most popular. However, there is a wide selection of much more on the menu: nachos, burritos and salads - something for everyone. And of course desserts, which, according to Eeva, are easily overshadowed by gelato. - After the hamburger, there is usually still room for ice cream, but you can be strict with the tuhti cake, Eeva points out with a smile. From the beginning, it was clear that the portions would be made in a generous size, like at the back of the rapako at least. Receptikka relies heavily on high-quality raw materials, own production and local production.

All components, starting with the steaks, are made in-house, as well as the BBQ, cheese and mustard sauces and mayonnaises. They are also completely parenteral-free, which Eeva takes professional pride in. Sauces are also produced canned for retail sale. Buns are ordered from a local bakery. The taste world is Yankee-style, and the Wings sauce, for example, has a strong hint of the southern states. Before the corona era, Bus Burger prepared its own Franchising manual. The readiness to expand the concept therefore exists. –

We have a large group of loyal customers and fans all over Finland who can't wait for their own hometown Bus Burger. We are looking for interested entrepreneurs to join us, he advises.

Bus Burger location, as well as an Italian restaurant concept built around ice cream in Helsinki's Hietalahti hall. - Next summer, the plan is to expand operations to Helsinki, where Bus Gelato has already received a good reception, restaurateur

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