HERMISTON, Ore.-The Hermiston Burger King celebrated its Grand Reopening on October 27.
The Hermiston Chamber of Commerce hosted a ribbon-cutting, attended by Chamber members and hungry community members, at the newly remodeled restaurant at 1730 N. 1st Street in Hermiston.
“I’m super excited to be here and share this with you, we’re thankful for the Hermiston community,” said Gary Moore, owner of the Hermiston Burger King. “We’re also really blessed to have Blanca (Rosales) our General Manager, she’s the one you see every day serving guests at one of our busiest locations. We’re thankful for her leadership, our entire team in Hermiston and the Burger King organization.”
According to Moore, Burger King restaurants get refurbished about every decade or so and the last time the Hermiston location was updated was eight years ago.
Moore has been with Burger King for 44 years and has owned the Hermiston location for the past 14 years.
“I started as an hourly team member in Utah,” said Moore. “I never imagined my wife and I would become owners. “Burger King is so much more than a high school job. There’s so much opportunity if you care about people. It’s been really good for our family.”
In addition to the Hermiston location, Moore owns the Burger Kings in Pendleton and Ontario, as well as restaurants in Utah, Nevada, and Idaho.
The Hermiston Burger King’s new look is referred to as “sizzle,” according to Moore, and includes a return to an older logo used by the burger chain.
The large street sign featuring the older logo with the words Burger King stacked inside a bun was installed the day before the grand reopening.
With the new large street sign and lighting around the building, the Burger King “pops” at night now, according to Moore.
The Burger King remodel also included paneling and trellises on the exterior, as well as tiling, lighting, and the ceiling inside.
Ordering kiosks were installed, and the restrooms were relocated and updated to be unisex.
“I like the design,” said Rosales, in between welcoming regulars, meeting new customers and overseeing her team of employees. “I think we’re definitely busier now.”
