When life hands you twists and turns and an alarmingly low bank account, many people do what Jeff Wright did — have a garage sale and flip some burgers for the neighbors. Most don’t become an overnight sensation, though, by grilling off-the-chart-tasting smash burgers like no other.
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Wright, 54, of Brentwood, surprisingly found himself selling nearly 900 smash burgers with fries or onion rings and a drink for $15 per order in less than five weeks. Word spread like wildfire on social media with neighbors and customers posting photos and reviews on how scrumptious his burgers were.
“[I] can also confirm that his food is delicious! Went today, and we’ll be back soon,” fellow Brentwood resident Brandi Gisi posted March 2 on the Nextdoor app, echoing other’s comments. “We are picky about our food/burgers, so in our opinion, we think his burger beats every burger joint we’ve been to, and we’ve been to most.
“[His] burger was flavorful, juicy; onion rings tasted perfect and crunchy. He’s off to a very successful start, and we look forward to him having a permanent spot to continue supporting him.”
Not everyone was happy, though.
An anonymous person complained to the city of Brentwood — which resulted in having the garage door closed on his burger business with a 72-hour cease-and-desist order. One city official told him the reason why: “Because you’re too popular!”
A cottage food license with the city of Brentwood, along with a business license, food and handler’s license, certificate from the health department and more are needed to run a food business from one’s home — so instead of being discouraged, Wright felt inspired.
“I felt grateful, grateful, so grateful!” he said. “I honestly believe that this is all a gift from God! The way the people are talking about the food and how it’s the best they’ve ever had, over and over again — it’s truly unbelievable, and I’m just so grateful.”
He sees this as an opportunity to launch a burger business — a career pivot he never saw coming. Wright was a 13-year regional sales manager for Cheese Merchants of America, which involved frequent and extensive travels, until his mother and, shortly thereafter, his aunt needed full-time care. He left his secure job to help them, along with maintaining nearly full-time custody of his daughter, Maika, age 11 at the time.
“My mother doesn’t walk well and uses a wheelchair,” said Wright, who was born in Castro Valley and raised mostly around Pleasant Hill and Concord. “She needs help with errands, cleaning and making meals. She has fallen a few times and once when I was in Washington for work, but thank God the neighbor was able to come help her.”
He said his aunt had to be moved from her apartment last year after she fell and no one found her for six days.
“Thank goodness she was still alive, but she could no longer walk without assistance,” said Wright. “Both my mom and aunt spent the next seven months in the hospital and acute care. I traveled to Highland Hospital in Oakland and to Kaiser in Walnut Creek, taking care of all their needs.”
After more than a year of taking care of his family, Wright found himself with a dwindling bank account.
“I was so close to being out of money that I decided to have a garage sale,” he said. “I had a fryer and a grill, so I decided to make burgers the day of the sale.”
With no formal culinary training, except for a love of cooking and having been a manager and head chef at Ed’s Mudville Grill in Clayton for almost seven years before working in sales, Wright says he sees a change in his future for something he loves — making people’s days through food.
“You have to have a passion for what you’re doing. You have to understand what makes food taste good,” he said. “First thing is visual — people eat with their eyes. I build a burger with intention, making sure that the bun is toasted correctly, that the tomatoes, pickles and lettuce are cold and crisp. I pre-caramelize my onions.
“I use my own special seasoning to dust the burgers as they cook and my own signature sauce added at the end — makes it just right. Each burger is made with 80-20 (meat to fat) ground chuck, which is a very tasty cut of beef. It’s a little bit more expensive, but it’s worth it!”
His youngest food critic, Maika, now 12, approves of her dad’s smash burgers.
“Maika loves the smash burger idea,” Wright said. “She tries to help me come up with names for the business. She loves that I’m home and not traveling anymore.
“We spend so much more quality time together now that I’m not rushing off to the airport,” said Wright. “Maika told me the other day, ‘Dad, this is actually the best burger I’ve ever had!’ She’s my biggest fan!”
He said his neighbors were extremely supportive.
“One of my neighbors came by two different times to get burgers for her whole office — there’s 15 people in her office,” said Wright. “I can say that, for sure, every neighbor has come to have a burger at least once and probably several times. Most of the comments I get are ‘thank you for doing this’ and ‘we are so happy you’re here!’ ”
The aforementioned Gisi from Nextdoor is rooting for Wright and his success like many others who posted on social media.
“I think his grit resonates with a lot of us out there wanting to succeed, to make more than enough money,” said Gisi. “It seems most of us are, in a way, rooting for ourselves too — the underdog.”
Wright said that when and where he lands with his potentially new smash burger business, he plans to give back to the community.
“Not only is my vision to help others as I think about this business, but I would be giving back to the homeless. I have a heart for them. I would employ others and take care of their families as well,” he said. “I love people so much, so this is much bigger than just burgers — it’s all about loving others through food.”
To reach Jeff Wright, email him at jeffjw711@yahoo.com.
See a brief YouTube video online that Charleen Earley made for this story at youtu.be/29KsIWtbtXQ?feature=shared. Reach Earley, a freelance writer and journalism professor at Foothill and Diablo Valley colleges, at charleenbearley@gmail.com or 925-383-3072.