CALF_News_December_2018_January_2019

48 CALF News • December 2018 | January 2019 • www.calfnews.net By Patti Wilson Contributing Editor  CALF BEEF REVIEW Angus Burgers and Shakes Kearney and Omaha, Neb. Where’s the Really Exceptional F or the best-tasting, original burger made in house, Angus Burgers and Shakes is your most dependable bet. Try them the next time you are in Kearney or Omaha, Neb. The brainchild of couple Travis and Sara Evans, their creativity and culinary skills are coupled with sound business sense and an innate ability to get along well with investors, partners and patrons. Originally an accounting major at the University of Nebraska, Travis Evans’ love of cooking led him to change paths and pursue culinary school. He described the moment his life took a turn; he noticed someone wearing a chef ’s jacket one day and decided to follow his instincts. A college counselor helped him make the jump to Southeast Community College, and the rest, as they say, is history. Evans’ first jobs were just as enlightening as his formal education. They enabled him to form firm decisions about how food ought to be prepared. He worked at restaurants in Lincoln and Kearney before returning east to marry Sara (also a chef ), and start a family. The couple has one son, Keenan, now an active 9 year old. Off and running Well-known Kearney entrepreneur Paul Younes lured Evans back west with an offer to start a new eatery. The result was Sozo, established in 2013. Along the way, Evans began serving Nebraska Star Beef, a product of Phelps County Feeders near Holdrege. The product’s quality and consistency along with the Evans’ manage- ment skills led him to a solid relationship with the Klute family, managers of the feedlot and suppliers of Nebraska Star Beef. It wasn’t long before Klutes offered to partner on a new endeavor; Angus Burgers and Shakes. Located near Interstate 80 in south Kearney, the establishment is under the sole super- vision of Evans. The Klute family has faith in Evans’ skills. So much so that they bought out Sozo’s original investors, and the Klute/Evans team now owns that eatery in partnership. A third establishment, another Angus Burgers and Shakes, recently opened in Omaha. Family Evans was quick to praise Sara.“If my wife ever left the restaurant business, we would probably fail. She is day-to-day eyes on 100 percent of the food and kitchens,” he says. He also pointed out her incredible work ethic and depend- ability in taking care of their son. As a former accounting student, Evans “loves numbers.” He only laments that the more involved he becomes in manage- ment, the farther he gets from food. His job takes him to Omaha three days a week and Kearney establishments four days a week. Even though he considers himself lucky, he says it is a seven-day-a-week job, sometimes running as many as 15 hours a day. One of his greatest challenges is to keep a bal- anced life with family. Feeding the atmosphere The couple sees great value in smaller towns and strives to make their restaurants part of the community and inclusive to family interaction. There’s only one TV in Angus Burgers and Shakes. In an age of hyper-electronics, people here are encouraged to com- municate with their families rather than watch sports. Micro- brewery beer is available, although there is no bar atmosphere. Indeed, while I was there, a small group of business people were having a quiet meeting, with no interruption from loud music or sports announcers. Taking an inclusive and relaxing approach,“do one or a few things and do them well,” Evans says. The entrepreneur was ranch-raised in Colorado. Burgers were always on the plate at home, and grilling was a nightly experience. A memorable drive-in near his home town served the mouthwatering sandwiches, further fueling a love of beef. When a trend started in 2009 of one-concept restaurants, it Chef Travis Evans has designed every detail of his new establishment, Angus Burgers and Shakes, in Kearney, Neb. Continued on page 49 