Saturday, August 5, 2017 • Page 1B
Drum roll for Bernie’s Burger Bus By Kim Hogstrom For The Leader
On Monday of this week, 75 students from Heights High School cheered and marched with the school band right through the dining room of the new Bernie’s Burger Bus to celebrate the eatery’s grand opening. The scene was one of pure joy for all those lucky enough to attend. The school’s appearance was perfect for the occasion. Bernie’s Burger Bus launched in 2010 as a food truck operating from an old yellow school bus as a “part time gig,” for owner/chef Justin Turner. Today, Turner still owns school buses to serve his loyal customers throughout Houston, but has added brick-and-mortar locations as well. With his new restaurant at 2200 Yale Street, Turner goes to the head of his food truck class. “In the beginning, we spent a lot of time in the Heights and it was very good to us when were just one old bus. Opening here feels like coming home. It just feels right,” Turner stated. Parked inside the new location, in the middle of the dining room, is the original yellow school bus - Number 1918 - now functioning as the location’s kitchen. Here again the school theme is carried forward; the menus are designed to reflect chalkboards because Bernie’s specializes in “old school” burgers, shakes and fries. Each work-of-art-on-abun has a name reflecting the same - The Principal, The Substitute, The Homeroom and so on. More than a few Houstonians have argued that BBB’s burgers are the best in town since the bus first rolled onto the scene. These devotees will point out that the condiments - katsup, mayo, mustard, pickles - are made in-house with no preservatives. Then, they will add that the burgers are hand-ground from Black Angus beef and brisket. Perhaps the proof is in the pudding, um, potatoes. In seven years, Turner has gone from one old school bus and two part-time employees, to three buses, and three brick-and-mortar locations with a total of 110 employees. How did he do it? “For starters, we began with the simple mission of serving the best burgers and fries on the planet,” Turner explained. “That’s why it was important that we used only the freshest ingredients, all made from scratch. We knew that we wanted to open restaurants and that the buses would be the perfect stepping stone to achieving that.” Turner started his career flipping burgers at a Wendy’s in Memphis, Tenn., while a teen. He moved on to an Outback Steak House, then fell under the wing of several gifted chefs who saw raw talent in the young man, and served as mentors. Eventually, Turner accepted a position as the personal
Photo contributed Heights High School Marching Band ushers in the grand opening of Bernie’s Burger Bus at 2200 Yale (clockwise from top); Schoolyard Spuds.
See Bernie’s, P. 2B
Parsley: Iconic photo studio closes shop By Landan Kuhlmann landan@theleadernews.com
Tucked away just off Yale and 15th street in the heart of the Heights for 75 years, a family-owned jewel is shutting its doors — but it’s not saying goodbye. Parsley Studios has weathered various economic fluctuations, watched the once-quaint neighborhood transform into a bustling main street and seen many shops come and go since opening their doors in 1942. But it always stood as a beacon of the old days against an increasingly bustling backdrop before deciding to shut it down. “The economy has gone up and down, but we’ve managed to stay here for 75 years, and we’re one of the few studios in the neighborhood—most everything else is downtown,” Janet Parsley said. “We’re not selling the business, exactly, but we’re selling the building. The phone number and everything will be the same.” While Parsley and several generations have poured blood, sweat and tears into the shop for three quarters of a century, she said the extenuating circumstances dictated that the writing was on the wall. “My mother died in 2013, and she left everything to me, and I have to divide it between two of my three brothers, and I need to sell this so I can get them their share of the inheritance,” she said. “If I could make enough money here so I could give them money from what we make [at the shop] that would be fine, but I can’t do that — I just have to sell it.” Parsley’s quaint little shop has been home to many family memories, and many a pleasant interaction as cus-
New tenant for Crescere Capital’s 33⅓ @ Thirtyfourth From Staff Reports Photo contributed Heights landmark Parsley Studios officially closed its doors after 75 years in business July 31. In the coming days, the shop will have a liquidation sale.
tomer and shop owners collaborated on personal portraits and preservation of history alike. “It’s easy to get to, it’s been in a neighborhood that’s quiet. It’s an old neighborhood with a lot of history to it,” she said. “My brother was born in ’53, and my father asked my mother if we had somebody who could take care of him. She came down to help out, and never went home to stay.” Customers as far as Los Angeles, New York and anywhere in between have flocked to the little hole in the wall shop off Yale, and it has been home to photo shoots from the Kubiaks to Loretta Lynn, Roy Rogers and more—though not without some bumps. “When my father died [years ago], people thought we were gone, since they saw the obituary,” Parsley said with a wry laugh. “But then my brother suggested we take part in the Heights Festival, and we had people come from all over the state and were so enthused about the pictures.”
While the physical studio withstood that bump, as rising taxes and restrictions and, townhomes and expansive properties spring up, Parsley said the combination of extenuating circumstances and changing of the times created the perfect storm for vacating its long-time home. Though the decision remains very much up in the air, Parsley remains adamant the family will continue to keep their eyes open for opportunities to install an in-home studio that mimics the current setting. In the meantime, however, those purveyors of classic Heights photos and personal portraits won’t be forced to trek downtown — the avenue of handoff will simply adapt to the times. “We don’t need to have a studio so much, and we just can’t have people coming to the house because we’re in a restricted area,” she said. “But we can still have people call us to come meet them and pick their pictures up at the house or have them delivered.” Parsley Studios officially closed up July 31, with 75
days from the aforementioned date to leave the store. In the coming weeks, the Studio will host a liquidation sale, with most everything selling for low or near zero. For this longtime neighborhood staple, this may be bidding a physical adieu — but despite the changing times, the beat will go on. Parsley can still be reached at 713869-4641.
Little more than a year ago, renderings surfaced for Crescere Capital Management’s 33 1/3 @ Thirtyfourth development at the southwest corner of 34th Street and Ella Boulevard in Oak Forest. Now, the coming retail development has announced a new tenant the Oak Forest community is bound to love. Swamplot reported Monday afternoon that popular café chain Les Ba’get will be opening its second location on the 2.5-acre development. Known
for its bánh mì Vietnamese sandwiches and its own twist on Vietnamese-style steak and eggs, Les Ba’get currently operates out of Montrose. However, Café owners Peter “Cat” Huynh and Angie Dang have officially signed a lease for the new 3,000-square-foot store at 1717 W. 34th St., according to Swamplot, so local readers will no longer need to leave the neighborhood for the delectable treats. 33 1/3 @ Thirtyfourth will be ready for retail tenants to move in this coming fall.
Put our 42 years of experience to work for you! Janet & Cecil Schmidt
FOR LEASE
Serving Oak Forest • Heights Shepherd Forest Shepherd Park Plaza Candlelight Plaza Timbergrove Lazybrook Garden Oaks
713.419.7918 homes@janetandcecil.com
Home ServiceS Premier ProPertieS • 713-686-5454
NEW LISTING
oak ForeSt 5302 Saxon $699,000 3-2-5 car garage • Mother-in-Law quarters, with separate entrance living/ kitchen area, full bath, washer/dryer area, bedroom and courtyard with patio and Salt Water Pool with spa.
1053 cheshire 4-3 • 2,843 sq ft. Appliances supplied. $2,300/monthly MLS #32840474
FOR LEASE
917 Pinckney St 2-1½ $1,500/monthly MLS #39670034
“We Make Real Estate Simple.” © 2013-2016 BHH Affiliates, LLC. Real Estate Brokerage Services are offered through the network member franchisees of BHH Affiliates, LLC. Most franchisees are independently owned and operated. Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices and the Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices symbol are registered service marks of HomeServices of America, Inc.® Equal Housing Opportunity.