A 'Miner' feat: Local hamburger joint celebrates 60th anniversary

Miner's Drive-In has seen its share of change in 60 years.

On its first day of business on April 9, 1948 -- it was then called Miner's In-N-Out -- the hamburger stand made a mere $46 selling the Big Miner Burger for 25 cents each.

The restaurant, located just outside of Union Gap at 2415 S. First St., now earns several million dollars annually in revenues selling the same burgers for about $5 each.

Such longevity comes as everyone from automobile dealers to commercial developers have closed businesses, postponed projects and tightened budgets in response to the national recession.

Miner's, too, has weathered several recessions.

The key to staying in business, even through the tough times, is to stay away from debt, said Gary Miner, 55, a third-generation owner of the business. He operates the business with his sister, Renee Miner, and his parents, Lee and Lois Miner.

The only time the business was ever in debt was when Ed and Irene Miner, Gary Miner's grandparents, borrowed $9,000 from a relative to open the business. But they also had $16,000 in wages they saved while working as a barber and a fruit packer, respectively.

Since then, the business has managed to avoid debt. Subsequent expansions of the restaurant, including the addition of an indoor dining room more than a decade ago, was paid with cash.

"We didn't build anything until we had the money to do it," Gary Miner said.

One common mistake that a lot of restaurants make is that they expand even when there isn't the demand to justify the expansion, Miner said.

"The business had to warrant us making the expansion," he said.

In October 1948, a California couple also opened a hamburger joint called In-N-Out. Over several decades that restaurant grew into the well-known fast-food chain, which is based in Irvine, Calif.

In the late 1960s, not wanting people to mix up their stand with the California outlets, the Miner family changed the restaurant's name to Miner's Drive-In.

The key to building that customer demand is to provide quality food and solid customer service.

Some of the restaurant's items, such as its Big Miner Burger, date back to the early days of the hamburger stand.

Other items, such as the restaurant's array of salads, were added in the past few years\.

Each item is made fresh, Miner said. He said he prefers to raise the price a few cents than skimp on the quality or quantity of the food.

"People are used to a certain thing," Miner said. "You better keep it that way.

The restaurant also tries to accommodate more budget-conscious diners by offering to cut a larger burger in half for the children or mentioning to customers that a large fries can be split between several family members.

Making such concessions has long-term benefits, Miner said.

"You keep them happy and they will be back," he said.

Indeed, the consistency of the food keeps customers coming.

One customer doesn't have to go very far. Michele Rasmussen is manager of the Blossom Shop Florist, which has been in business right across the street for most of Miner's existence -- 58 years to be exact.

Rasmussen said she enjoys the burgers. When her sister from Hawaii is in town, a trip to Miner's is a must.

She's confident that even as the economy slows that people will still go to Miner's.

"It doesn't matter how broke you are, you're going to scrounge up money for a hamburger," she said.

Gary Miner's career with the family business began 35 years ago. He started working in the back of the restaurant and worked his way up to ownership.

Such humble beginnings have helped him appreciate the restaurant's 80 employees. He credits them for the restaurant's success. Some of them have provided ideas, such as suggesting a certain lettuce slicer or a different way to do daily tasks, that has made business operations more efficient.

Others have provided loyalty by working several decades at the restaurant.

For their service, Miner's provides several employee benefits that include free food during work hours as well as a pension plan for employees who are at least 18 years old and have worked at the restaurant at least two years.

"If you work at a place you're happy with, you will radiate that to your customers," Miner said.

* Mai Hoang can be reached at 577-7685, or mhoang@yakimaherald.com.