News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
After more than 50 years in business, Cookeville landmark Mini Burger is closing its doors for the time being.
General Manager Bianca Hawlik said the staff was called in Sunday for a last-minute meeting with the owners where they were told Saturday would be the last day they were open. She said while the restaurant had been having financial struggles, no one saw the decision coming.
“Mini Burger has always been there as long as I’ve been here,” Hawlik said. “And it’s something I don’t want to see the town lose. So I’m going to fight to get this place reopened and I’m going to fight to the best of my ability to do that.”
Hawlik said she and her Assistant Manager plan on meeting with the owners Wednesday. She said they hope to come to a conclusion that will help the restaurant reopen and be successful.
Hawlik said several months ago they ended breakfast in hopes of saving the restaurant more money. She said they had also implemented more events to generate buzz about Mini Burger such as trivia night and the Mini Burger Challenge.
“There are a lot of things I’ve been doing behind the scenes while we were still open to bring to the owners and say, ‘Hey maybe we can make changes here or maybe we’re not doing something right there or maybe switch focus, and all of this I’m going to be bringing to them Wednesday,” Hawlik said. “(…) So we’re hoping Wednesday we go in and we form a plan of where we go to from here with the hopes of reopening the business again.”
Hawlik said they are going to do everything they can to keep the restaurant alive. She with generations of memories, it is not something they want the community to lose.
