Humble Burger now has its own space downtown
The burger eatery Humble Burger has grown from its farmers” markets beginnings to a downtown storefront.
The employees were busy with finishing touches on Wednesday afternoon and the restaurant opened its doors to the public Thursday morning.
Kira Hunter | Argonaut
Humble Burger employees work hard during the evening rush of customers their second day open on 1st and Main in Downtown Moscow.
Hannah Wolff owns the business with her husband, Nate, and friend, Chris Aberle. The owners have been friends since they met while attending New Saint Andrews College.
“We really aren”t interested in doing anything fancy,” Hannah Wolff said, “We just want to make something that”s good using the best ingredients that we have access to.”
Hannah always had an interest in pursuing a career in food because of her many years in the food industry. After their years at New Saint Andrews, Hannah and Nate spent time in Portland, but eventually moved back to Moscow.
The couple then began discussing their idea for an eatery with Aberle.
Nate came up with the name Humble Burger and the owners decided to use it because it encapsulated their modest start.
In 2014, the owners opened up a stand at the Moscow Farmers Market where they gained a following for their unique and tasty burgers.
“We could not believe how overwhelming the response was,” Hannah said. “The community has been really inspiring and made us want to make this a real thing.”
This is the Wolffs” first time owning a business, but they were excited to take on the challenge.
The three owners of Humble Burger don”t always agree when making decisions, but this dynamic is what Hannah said keeps them open to new ideas.
The first challenge they came across was finding the money to invest in a building and other restaurant needs. They made a good profit during their first year at the farmer”s market, which was a huge encouragement for the owners.
They began a Kickstarter campaign that allowed people to donate toward establishing the restaurant. Hannah said the donations they received from the Kickstarter were an encouraging surprise. Humble Burger focuses on using natural and local ingredients, including some from friends at the farmers” market, to create the best burger possible.
From choosing the ingredients to deciding on the interior design, the owners have been busy.
Luckily, they also have the help of their three employees who have been working with Humble Burger from the start.
“Everybody else does the thinking and we do the manual labor,” said Hannah”s brother Ethan Stevenson. “We”ve been pretty busy.”
Humble Burger will be open Tuesday through Friday from 10:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. and Saturday from 3-7 p.m., so the business can still participate at the farmers” market.
The restaurant will also be hosting musical performances now that it is open, including artists such as An American Forrest and some bands from Portland.
“I think I”m mostly excited about having a space and being able to call it home,” Hannah said.
Jessica Gee can be reached at [email protected] or on Twitter @jaycgeek