Auntie Dorn’s Take-Out offers creative burger choices and gives to charities
Auntie Dorn’s Take-Out in Wilmot has been creating fun for customers and giving back to the community all in the midst of pandemic restrictions.
The restaurant's Burger of the Week Club offers a different, fun, and flavourful burger each week, with proceeds going to local charities.
The Burger of The Week Club began in May 2020 as a creative way to support local charities and to give back to customers.
“We were looking for ways to boost awareness of our restaurant while flexing our creative ‘muscles,'" explains Auntie Dorn's manager Travis Meisner.
Since the club launched during the COVID pandemic, the restaurant kept participant's punch cards in a cardholder at the front cash. Anyone who bought six burgers of the week got a seventh free.
The Burger of the Week Club was inspired by the Campaign for Kids Burger Wars. Burger Wars raises $1 per burger from local supporting restaurants for Campaign for Kids, a children’s charity based in Kings County.
Laura Churchill Duke, the communications coordinator for Campaign for Kids, enjoys the spirit Meisner and his team bring to Burger Wars. “Auntie Dorn's was all set to join the 2020 Burger Wars, with great enthusiasm; however, because of COVID, we had to postpone," she says.
"Because they are seasonal, their opening depends on the weather and other factors, they could not join Burger Wars 2021 until the latter half of the month."
Despite their late involvement, and a province-wide shutdown, Auntie Dorn's managed to sell 301 burgers, raising $301 for Campaign for Kids, said Churchill Duke.
Meisner continues to support Campaign for Kids through the Burger of the Week program.
“This is another great way that Auntie Dorn’s contributes to the community. For one week, they featured a burger from C4K as an added fundraiser. To participate, each of the Burger Wars team members contributed a burger creation," explains Churchill Duke.
To make it fun, the Burger Wars team asked one of its young burger fans, Grade 2 KCA student Max Yorke, to come up with a creation.
"Travis then posted them all for the public to vote which one they wanted, and Max's won," says Churchill Duke.
"Unfortunately, our BOW was during the province's shutdown, so we hope to feature that burger, or another one from the team, later in the summer."
Auntie Dorn’s enjoys supporting local charities with the funds from the Burger of the Week.
“We have run burgers to support Campaign for Kids and wheelchair racer Ben Brown, as well as a few other charities and are always open to more ideas," Meisner says.
"We also plan to run another burger in support of Campaign for Kids this summer now that the travel restrictions have lifted."
ALL IN THE FAMILY
Auntie Dorn’s is a truly a family-run operation, with 12 local staff, including Meisner, his sister, Kaitlyn, and brother, Trevor.
“I run the grill. My brother does seafood, and my sister is the fry cook," he says, explaining that his mom is the original Auntie Dorn.
"We are currently in our seventh season and plan to be around for many more. We have some renovations planned for the future that were put on hold due to skyrocketing lumber prices."
Takeout restaurants have fared well during the pandemic as customers looked for outdoor and take-away options.
“COVID postponed our opening in 2020 by a little over a month, which was very unfortunate. It has, however, given takeout-style restaurants throughout Canada another chance in the spotlight," he says.
"Our staff and management are grateful every day that we get to do what we love and for customers that enjoy eating with us. The hot days are brutal and the cold days suck but, in the end, we love cooking our food and enjoy being able to create for all the 'Dornamaniacs.'"
SPECIAL CREATIONS
Meisner and his staff are always looking for inspiration for new burgers.
“We’ve dreamt ideas, grabbed ideas from cartoons like Bob’s Burgers with last year’s Baby You Can Chive My Car. A few of our burgers have come from joke meals I’ve made for staff at work, like the Double Dorn," he says.
Meisner created the Double Dorn as a joke for his sister, Kaitlyn.
“Kaitlyn was hungry, so I made her a burger so big she nearly burst. Now it’s a mainstay we are truly proud to sell,” says Meisner.
This year’s big hit has been Gam Gam’s Western Whiskey Double Shot burger, which was inspired by a trip to the store and a chance encounter with a bottle of Forty Creek barbecue sauce.
Meisner encourages customers to get involved in burger creation as well.
“When we debuted the Macho Nacho Burger three summers ago, we did a contest where the first customer to show up dressed as The Macho Man Randy Savage got their meal free. The smiles on people’s faces when two little kids came with their parents yelling, 'OHHHH YEAAAAAAAH!' made the long hot days worth it,” says Meisner.
Summer hours began on July 5. Auntie Dorn’s is open on Monday and Tuesday from 3-7 p.m. for ice cream only. From Wednesday to Sunday, the take-out restaurant is open 11 a.m.–7 p.m. for the full menu.
“We are in full swing all summer with plans to test an 8 p.m. closing on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays soon,” says Meisner.
The menu includes much more than just burgers — local favourites include fish and chips, Digby clams, haddie chunks and club house sandwichs and turkey dinner poutine, made from turkey roasted in-house. Daily specials are posted on Facebook and Instagram.