Just Hamburgers is set for a grand reopening Saturday under new ownership.
By WILL BRUMLEVE
will@fordcountychronicle.com
PAXTON — The highly anticipated grand reopening of one of Paxton’s most well-known businesses — Just Hamburgers — is set for Saturday, Aug. 6, and its new owners are as excited as just about anyone else.
“I’m super excited,” said Paxton native Todd Thorstenson, who co-owns the popular carryout-only burger joint with Bayles Lake native Brendan Healey, “and I know Brendan is, as well.”
Open since 1971 at 214 E. Ottawa Road, Just Hamburgers closed after 51 years in business on April 30 to accommodate the retirement of longtime owners Cary and Connie Hasselbring. The closure left many in the community — and beyond — longing for its reopening, including the 55-year-old Thorstenson, who lives in Champaign, and his lifelong friend Healey, who lives in suburban Wilmette.
Both grew up as fans of Just Hamburgers — back when it was owned by Glenn “Skip” Parcell and later Mr. Parcell’s son Jim — and were saddened to see it close. After buying the business from the Hasselbrings this summer, though, Thorstenson and Healey could not be more excited for what is about to come.
“I grew up in Paxton, so it’s so exciting to reopen a business there and be involved in the community,” said Thorstenson, who graduated from Paxton High School in 1985.
Many others seem to be thrilled, too. As of Tuesday, nearly 900 people had indicated in an event announcement on Facebook that they were “interested” or “going” to Saturday’s grand reopening, which runs from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and will be preceded by a ceremonial ribbon cutting with Mayor Bill Ingold and the Paxton Area Chamber of Commerce.
“The response from the community has been just so positive — it could not be better,” Thorstenson said. “The social-media response has been great, so I think we’re going to have a good turnout. I think it’s going to be really busy.”
Thorstenson said his newly hired staff — which includes full-time manager Jonathan Frichtl, a full-time assistant manager and several part-time workers — will be ready for the rush. They will be serving the same burgers, fries, shakes and menu that Just Hamburgers has for 51 years.
“Cary and Connie were there (last) week training the staff (to make the food on the menu), and that’s been going great,” Thorstenson said. “They’ve been pleased with the burgers that we’ve been making so far — they said they taste great.
“We’re keeping it the same,” Thorstenson stressed. “That’s the biggest question that I get is, ‘Is anything going to be changing?’ And, no, it definitely will not be. We’re using the same recipe that has been in place since 1971, so we’re going to be offering the same menu.”
With the slogan “Simple ingredients prepared with unusual skill,” Just Hamburgers will be open six days a week, just like it was in the past. It will be open from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. and 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday and from 11 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. Saturday.
About the only change people may notice, Thorstenson said, is that not just cash and local checks will be accepted but also debit cards, credit cards, Apple Pay and Google Pay — “pretty much everything except crypto.”
“And there’s no extra fees for that,” Thorstenson said.
Thorstenson has also improved Just Hamburgers’ presence on social media and the World Wide Web, as it has a new website (justhamburgers.net), Facebook page (www.facebook.com/justhamburgersoriginal) and Instagram account (@justhamburgersoriginal). In addition to the website and social media, Just Hamburgers can be reached via email (justhamburgerspaxton@gmail.com) or phone (217-379-4222).
“My wife and I did (the website),” Thorstenson said. “It was fun. I really enjoyed doing that, and I enjoy the posts on social media. I’m doing all the social media.”
For Thorstenson, Just Hamburgers is among many business ventures. For the past 10 years, Thorstenson has owned TCBY, a yogurt shop in Champaign, and for the past 25 years, he has owned The Real Estate Book, a print and online real estate publication serving the Champaign-Urbana area. Thorstenson plans to continue both of those business ventures, in addition to working as a residential mortgage lender for the First State Bank in Champaign and managing 250 apartments, some of which he also owns with Healey, in Champaign and Monticello.
Thorstenson said that he and Healey, now an attorney with his own law firm in Wilmette, were “best friends” growing up, as their fathers happened to be business partners. Healey’s grandmother worked at the original Just Hamburgers that Mr. Parcell opened in Watseka, before he moved it to Paxton in 1971.
