Today we’d like to introduce you to Hunter Bogar the owner of Biff Buzby’s Burgers off of I35 and Toepperwein.
Hi Hunter, we’re thrilled to have a chance to learn your story today. So, before we get into specifics, maybe you can briefly walk us through how you got to where you are today?
I was born in Houston and was raised in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I thought I was going to be a professional golfer. I kicked around on the junior golf circuit until I needed to get a real job, so my grandmother, Donna Humphreys the founder of Biff Buzby’s Burgers invited me to San Antonio to try my hand with her in the restaurant business. So back in 2013, I started working with her at Biff Buzby’s Burgers which she founded in June 1999.
It was a family affair when my grandfather who was an investor in the center came up with the idea of my grandmother opening a restaurant. He had a space in the corner of the center which was the worst location and could not find a tenant for it, so he figured he would rent it to my grandmother. Her first thought was not no, but hell no. You see she was a food broker for many years and knew enough about the restaurant business not to have one, but he persisted and won (as usual).
They knew it had to be their favorite food -“burgers” but the concept would be as fresh and homemade as possible. In fact, to this day we still hand patty fresh never frozen ground beef, and our buns “how about them buns” is a sweetened sourdough recipe. Growing up, my great-grandparents would always serve “beans” when my grandfather grilled burgers. So, Donna my grandmother decided she would serve homemade pinto beans with our burgers which we make a fresh batch every morning just for our guest. In fact, we do 90% of our items from fresh and from scratch, appetizers to desserts. We have many guest who come just for our apps which are all homemade, the best jalapeno poppers in the world- so they say, the best fried pickles and of course our cheese sticks. We also offer over 20 toppings to make that burger your own.
People often ask the question “Who was Biff Buzby?” To our family, we only know Biff as my grandfather’s imaginary adult friend. From the beginning when my grandparents met, while watching old war movies, my grandfather would turn to us and say, “you know Biff and I use to fly that same mission” and would go into an elaborate story about how he and Biff saved the day. Although Biff Buzby’s Burgers is a tongue twister, the family all agreed that the stories made us laugh, so with good food, good service and good laughs the name was appropriate.
My grandfather passed away in 2008. As I mentioned, I joined my grandmother in 2013. My grandmother, the founder, passed away on July 26, 2019. I look forward to carrying on her legacy and providing the best old-fashioned burger in town!
Biff Buzby’s has hosted Friday Night Crusin for years. The hottest cars from classics to new cool cars and trucks line up for our guest on Friday nights. The best eye candy in town, can be found at Biff’s on Friday nights, weather permitting featuring live music or DJ. Biff’s host many of the local car and truck clubs, the South Texas Ford Trucks Mafia www.STGTM.com, the San Antonio Rodders, the Corvette Club to name a few. They are all great civic organizations and provide much for our community. #STFM #corvetteclub #SanAntonioRodders
Biff’s is roughly 5 miles from Randolph Airforce Base, in fact we have a party room called the Randolph Room aka the Cockpit where we can accommodate parties of up to 30 guest which is decorated with pictures and memorabilia from Randolph AFB. Biff’s has offered a military discount for over 20+ years and is proud to do so. #randolphAFB
Biff’s offers a burger food challenge, “The Red Baron,” a 3-pound cheeseburger with fries. Defeat the Red Baron in less than 30 minutes and receive a free t-shirt and bragging rights. We have graciously hosted some of the biggest names in food challenges: #rainaiscrazy #jonmichael and many of your local favorite food challengers to the Biff’s Burger Challenge!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Biff Buzby’s has had challenges like many restaurants naturally do. The pandemic has been extremely tough, trying to adapt to many changes, notably rising costs from every angle and finding the best employees. We are truly thankful beyond measure for our amazing and supportive guests.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I like to think that I specialize in making people happy. I love seeing people happy and that is what my staff and I strive for on a daily basis. I understand we cannot please every customer’s food taste- although we do have a great Greek Salad and we serve Beyond Burgers. But here at Biff’s, I can assure you that you will leave happy either way. We like to develop relationships with our customers.
Most of our business is repeat customers so working with a small staff we constantly see the same guests which allows us to build relationships with them as people. Biff’s has a daily food special which many of our guest look forward to. The main rule I have with my staff is that I want them to engage and embrace our customers. You never know who that person is or what they have been through, so we really try to go the extra mile with our customers.
All that being said I am most proud of our customer service. We are definitely known for our food and better yet our service.
Is there anyone you’d like to thank or give credit to?
There are so many people to praise; however, this business would be impossible if it wasn’t for Steve Baker. Steve is my kitchen manager but also way more than that. He has over 30 years of experience and always impresses me every single day. He and his staff take so much pride in pumping out the best food and it really is a joy to watch. He is someone I can always count on and he definitely makes my job as an owner way easier so I am very thankful to Steve and the team he has assembled.
All of my employees are critical to our success and all deserve the credit. My customers make this job fun and I am honored to be able to serve each and every one of them. I am flattered we have stood the test of time being in business for 22 years, and hopefully, many more. None of this would be possible if it was not for my incredible customers. Thanks to all!
Contact Info:
- Website: www.biffbuzbys.com
Image Credits
Ali Majidimehr and Bryce Tumlinson
