After nearly 25 years, the owner of a popular burger joint in Wallaceburg his hanging up his apron and spatula.
Brian Hoffman took over Big Chief Drive-In back in 1996 and February 8 marked his last weekend as owner.
The restaurant was first opened by the DeCaesteker family in 1957 and quickly established itself a go-to spot for locals to get fries, burgers and milkshakes.
Hoffman bought the business after graduating from the University of Guelph's hospitality program and said he purchased the restaurant before even seeing it in person. He added that he didn't know much about Wallaceburg either, but heard all about the community from his roommate and eventual business partner Jeff Janssens.
"You know, driving in cornfields, crazy stories at local bars, high school shenanigans. They'd always go to this drive-in restaurant called the Big Chief and go for burgers, fries and shakes before they went out," he said.
According to Hoffman, over the past 24 years, one of the biggest changes has been adjusting his menu to suit allergies and dietary restrictions. Otherwise, he said that the same basic principle has remained.
"The essence of what we do hasn't changed," he said. "The burgers have been made the same since the first owner, the DeCaesteker family started it in 1957 and we've done the same. We've had some additions, some deletions. Otherwise, the core of what we do has always been, buy the best quality ingredients that we can and put out a great product at a reasonable price."
A self-described "burger flipper," Hoffman said he went into the business not knowing how long he'd be involved for and just seeing where the journey would take him. He added that the running joke around town was that he was always a year or two away from selling the place, but now it truly felt like the perfect time.
"24 years later, here I am finally leaving. The decision was made shortly after I came here, I wanted to move on to bigger and better things but it turned out I already had the bigger and better thing," said Hoffman. "I don't think I was ready to leave until now. If this would have happened last year at this time, I probably would have found an excuse to keep it."
Erin Bogaert with her first customer at Big Chief Drive In (Photo via Facebook)
On February 10, Hoffman officially handed over the keys to the new owner, Erin Bogaert. Hoffman said in mid-2019, Bogaert approached him in the restaurant one day about purchasing the establishment from him. He said he knew almost immediately, she was the right person for the job and he'd be leaving the building in good hands.
Bogaert, who was born and raised in Wallaceburg, said she always had a great deal of respect for the history of the restaurant.
"It's been a Wallaceburg icon for as long as I can remember, my family and I always eat here. It was a chance to try something new and buy a well established successful business," said Bogaert. "I am keeping all of the amazing staff."
According to Bogaert, she plans to do some renovations to the building over the next year. However, when it comes to the food, she said she intends to keep the items that have made Big Chief a community staple.
"No plans to change the tried and true recipes," she exclaimed. "Hopefully, add some new items to the menu. I plan on putting a little love into this old building, some new furniture, some paint on the walls, fix up the driveway, power wash the patio, and replace some old equipment."
The last few days as the owner of the restaurant was a sentimental and busy one for Hoffman, with people coming from across the municipality to say farewell and share their stories.
Bogaert's said her first week as owner echoed Hoffman's last.
"It's been a great first week, very busy," she said. "I've met lots of new people, a lot of regulars and I've seen some old friends as well," she said.
As for the next chapter of Hoffman's life, he said he's looking forward to spending time with his wife and not having to worry about maintaining a work-life balance. Several years ago, the couple bought a run-down lodge in Northern Ontario they plan to fix up and start running in the summers while spending their winters down south in Florida.
Although he had big plans for his future, he said the change hasn't truly sunken in it for him.
"It's been incredibly rewarding and incredibly frustrating at the same time," said Hoffman. "I find now that the deals closed, I'm really only remembering the good times. The frustrations and...challenges are fading in my memory already. I'm looking forward to the next chapter."