A new family-run business is serving up smash burgers like you’ve never had them before. Duke’s Burger Company opened on August 27 on Highway 59 about one and a half miles north of the Highway 311 intersection.
It’s the realization of a long-standing dream for Josh Darlington, who wanted to open a restaurant out of a food trailer located on his family’s 4.5-acre property close to Niverville. Leaving a corporate career in sales, Darlington bought a trailer in April 2023, renovated to serve food, then brought it up to code and opened for business in late summer.
Now all he needs to do is sell burgers—and make his father proud.
Hotdog Cart Owner to Burger Legend
Darlington always seemed to have an interest in street food, but it wasn’t always burgers that caught his attention.
“Seeing hotdog carts outside of arenas, hockey events, many different events I’d go to as a young adult, they just became a huge interest of mine,” Darlington says. “I just thought they were really cool. In 2012, I took the plunge and my wife and I bought one. We started running one in downtown Winnipeg part-time. We branched out from there and did different events all around rural Manitoba, like Gimli Icelandic Festival and the Morden Corn and Apple Festival. We were busy, too. In fact, we got too busy and we just couldn’t do it anymore.”
The couple ended up relinquishing their hotdog cart. They both had full-time jobs, but the fever never went away.
“I always said I had the most fun doing that work,” he says. “You get to meet people and talk to people. I always say, it takes many types of people to make this world go round, and you meet them all at the hotdog cart. It’s fantastic! I never had so much fun doing a job than doing that type of work. I knew at some point I’d get back to it. Fast-forward to 2023 and here we are, we took the plunge.”
A few friends and mentors picked up on his yearning for something new and gave him some encouragement, pointing out that you only live once. It was the push Darlington needed to make the leap and invest in the trailer.
The name of the business, Duke’s Burger Company, came from Darlington’s late father, nicknamed Duke. A portrait in his honour is featured on the side of the trailer.
“He always wanted to have something of his own. My dad would’ve been tickled. He would’ve loved this. I thought, this could be something to work for. If I put my father’s name on the side of this thing, and put him on it, I can’t fail. Every day I wake up and have to look my father in the eye.”
He also views his business as a family venture. Being right on his home property, his seven-year-old son is often out at the trailer and enjoys being involved however he can.
Rather than pressure, Darlington derives inspiration from both his dad and the legacy he hopes to pass on to his son.
The Duke
Despite not having formal training in the kitchen, Darlington felt his homemade burger would be a strong enough product to support the business. So he put it on the menu and called it “the Duke.”
“It’s a smash-style burger,” he says. “It’s something I’ve been working on for years and years, cooking at home.”
A smash burger uses a beef hamburger patty that has no fillers or binders and is cooked by pressing the meat firmly down onto a hot griddle. The fat from the meat provides all the flavour and the caramelization from the cooking process holds the patty together.
The style has been trending in North America. Darlington points out that many fast food restaurants in the United States have been serving this style of burger for years, but it’s been slower to catch on in Canada.
“For whatever reason, there’s not a lot of places here exclusively doing smash burgers,” he says. “It’s all beef. No spices even in the meat or anything. No breadcrumbs, no eggs, no oats like some people do. I do straight beef. I put it straight on the grill, I smash it, and I put salt and pepper on it. That’s it. That’s what people want. Straight beef. And we’ve had a lot of good feedback on that so far.”
Then there’s the Duke Sauce.
“That’s kind of the big ticket on the burger. I don’t know anyone else who makes it like I do, and I guess that’s what makes it mine… So we make a great burger, we put the sauce on it, and it tastes pretty darn good. I’d say. I think people are liking it!”
Darlington says that freshness and quality are really important—and it true for everything on the menu from the beef to the veggies, chicken, and turkey.
Other menu options at the trailer include a chicken-smash burger, and a classic-style hotdog.
“The hot dog is called the Gordo, named after one of my best friends who’s a hotdog lover,” Darlington explains. “I’m not going to beat around the bush. It’s my take on the old ‘whistle dog’ from A&W. It’s the same kind of deal. It’s got bacon, relish, and cheese on it, but I put green onions on mine. That’s been a pretty good seller so far.”
Busy Highway
Duke’s Burger Company is located directly off Highway 59 via a shared private driveway, number 2300. At an Ritchot council meeting earlier this year, there were some concerns about the business’s location due to heavy traffic on that stretch of road. There is no turning lane or paved shoulder before the entrance and it’s important for the public to be aware of the dangers of the turn.
When asked about this, Darlington readily admits that the location does come with its challenges.
“I actually respect that,” he says. “I mean, people who are aware of how busy the highway is are going to be looking out for their own and everybody else’s safety. They’re aware it’s a dangerous highway. Someone did tell me, ‘You know, I wanted to turn in and it was a little bit too busy, so I didn’t.’ And I say, good on you. You’re aware.”
Darlington also contends that there are other businesses located on Highway 59. He says that adding one more isn’t going to change how people drive.
“There’s a chicken farm with multiple vehicles pulling in every day,” he says. “There’s a wedding venue, antiques shop, mechanics.”
Darlington asks any customers coming and going to practice awareness to help keep everyone safe.
Opening Challenges
There is no grand opening event planned, but Darlington is open to planning one in the future. Their first week open saw a large volume of customers most days. One day, they even sold out.
The business will be closed Mondays and Tuesdays and may change their hours to accommodate demand. Customers are asked to check social media before heading out to ensure that the trailer is open.
Also, being a trailer, the business is uniquely mobile and may go out to events. But Darlington is open about how many venues they’ll make the effort to attend.
“Being a stop on the 59 and having great signage that says burgers, we do get people stopping in. So we don’t want to maybe be gone too often. We will honour local connections with places we’ve become committed to going to. We want to keep those commitments, but we will not be gone too often.”
He adds that the business has a presence on Instagram and Facebook. Those are good places to check before heading out, to ensure that no one makes the trip on a closed day.
