‘Burgers ‘N More’ takes home cooking on the road

By Mike Lange
Staff Writer

    MILO — When Floyd and Kathy Carter realized their dream of building and operating a lunch wagon with a home-style menu, they found out quickly that there’s no place like home.
    “We had the concept of building Burgers ‘N More in January and started construction in April,” Floyd Carter said. “It was something we’ve always wanted to do, and we used local vendors like Three Rivers Hardware and Bailey’s Lumber for our material.”

Observer photo/Mike Lange

SOMETHING SPECIAL — Floyd Carter updates the menu at Burgers ‘N More Burger Shack while his wife, Kathy, looks on.

    But Carter said that they didn’t have any idea where to set up the portable eatery. So they canvassed the Bangor area, looking for permission to set up their operation in some major shopping plazas. “We ran into one roadblock after another, until we got the OK to set up at Sam’s Club two days a week,” Carter recalled.
    Unfortunately, it rained both days they were in the Queen City and they wound up with only five customers. Plus, it cost $85 in gas for the trips.
    So Floyd Carter approached the manager of Three Rivers Hardware, five minutes away from his home, about using part of their parking lot. “She e-mailed the owner; and within an hour, he said ‘yes,’” said Carter. “People seem really happy to have us here. Business is picking up steadily as word gets out.”
    The Burgers ‘N More Burger Shack menu changes from time to time, but keeps the consistent best-sellers. The monster hot dog, for instance, includes a secret sauce that reportedly tastes best when added to raw onions and mustard.
    The tater tot mountain is a generous helping of deep fried potatoes with cheese, bacon, chopped onions and sour cream “and the only other place that has it on the menu that I know is Governor’s Restaurant,” said Carter.
    In addition to the main ingredients, the cheese steak explosion includes pepperoni, onions, sweet peppers and mushrooms.
    Sometime they have fish chowder; on other days, you might find clam chowder on the menu. At times, the Carters will add chicken fajitas to the chalkboard.   
    Among their biggest customers are employees at JSI Store Fixtures, Milo’s largest employer. To accommodate their lunch break, workers can call Burgers ‘N More and the orders are delivered. “They only have a half-hour for lunch, so this is a nice convenience for them,” said Kathy Carter.
    Unlike most portable food stands, Burgers ‘N More Burger Shack won’t shut down for the winter. “The only month we won’t be open will be February,” said Floyd Carter. “Obviously, the weather will be a factor in our operating hours. But people still want good food at a decent price in the winter. Plus, we’re within sight of a major snowmobile trail.”
    The current operating hours are Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Friday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Due to the Labor Day weekend, however, Burgers ‘N More will be closed on Aug. 30 and Sept. 2.
    For take-out orders, call 965-5710 and see their daily specials on their Facebook page.
    Finally, as an added bonus, customers who mention this story in the Observer or bring a copy of this issue to Burgers ‘N More on Tuesday, Sept. 3 will get a free order of french fries.