“What you put into a business, you get out, so don’t give up,” says James Panos, owner of beloved Oshawa burger joint Mr Burger. James learned this first-hand growing up working with his grandfather, dad and uncle in their restaurants. From his first job sweeping the floors in his dad’s place when he was a child, to taking over Mr Burger in 2014, this advice has held him in good stead. “I’m third generation in the restaurant trade and their knowledge has been passed down to me,” James says.
James couldn’t resist buying the popular Oshawa restaurant when he learned it was for sale. “It appealed to me. It was family run, independent and similar in style to what I’d grown up with," he explains. The fact that Mr Burger also serves tasty, authentic, freshly made burgers and milkshakes was a bonus in James' eyes. Not to mention that James had been a MrBurger customer when he was a child and enjoyed every one of his visits.
