When Stan Alvey started Stan’s Shake Shak in 1984, it was a literal shack of milkshakes. Today it’s a destination restaurant and expansive c-store on a highway packed with summer traffic. Its new owners, Stan’s son Duke and his wife, Jessica, are carrying on the family business and the family tradition of having a positive effect on the small rural community they call home.
Duke and Jessica purchased the shack from Stan in 1996. In 2001, they merged it with a small gas station and convenience store down the road, also owned by Stan. In 2005, Stan retired, leaving Duke and Jessica to run it all. Today, Stan’s Burger Shak and Foodmart is a bustling business at the junction of Highway 25 and Highway 94 in Hanksville, Utah, not far from popular vacation spots such as Lake Powell, Capitol Reef National Park and Goblin Valley State Park.
Burger Breakdown
The restaurant is closed in December and January and slows down during other cold months, but in the height of summer, the place is crawling with customers. On summer weekends, Stan’s fills about 400 orders. The restaurant can seat up to 98 people in big booths under an open ceiling of pine beams.
Stan’s serves burgers, fries and popular homemade onion rings. It has countless shake flavors, many of them made with fresh fruit.
“We even do watermelon and cantaloupe shakes when they’re in season,” Jessica says. “Our shakes stand about 3 inches above the rim. They’re thick and tall.”
Popular orders include the classic Hanks Burger, with a special house-made sauce, as well as the 100% buffalo meat burger. “The largest free-roaming herd of buffalo in the continental U.S. is just to the South of us,” Jessica says. “The burger tastes just like beef, but people are always curious.”
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For Sale
Restaurant sales are up roughly 70% from what they were before the businesses moved into the same space, largely due to the fact that the business now serves as a one-stop shop for summer. The Alveys offer just about everything vacationers need: souvenirs from local destinations, swimwear, beach towels, camping and fishing gear, groceries, drinks, ice and gas. There are eight pumps out front, dispensing locally owned Silver Eagle fuel. The store is also well known for its selection of Black Dragon Rescue canyoneering gear, which passersby often need for recreational climbing in nearby slot canyons.
“We also carry jewelry and candy made by local citizens of Hanksville,” Jessica says. It’s one of many ways the Alveys try to support the community. They also employ roughly 30 teens each summer, putting them through leadership training and giving them opportunities to test their skills. They use a customer service training program by Bob Farrell called “Give ’Em the Pickle” to instruct their employees, and they set workplace standards high. Teens can work for the Alveys for three summer seasons, earning positions as crew leaders their senior years. The Alveys award $1,000 scholarships to employees each year to put toward any schooling they choose.
“Hanksville is very remote, with limited opportunities for students here,” Jessica says. “Kids have to travel a long way to go to school, and the population is very low-income. We wanted to give students an opportunity to learn skills to provide for themselves, to go to college. We try to teach them work-ethic and leadership skills.” The couple has awarded eight scholarships so far.
Because Hanksville has a population of only 220, the Alveys also have to look elsewhere to meet their seasonal hiring needs. They work with a program called Alliance Abroad to employ students from all over the world. The students come to the United States on work visas to spend their summers contributing at Stan’s.
“Kids in Hanksville have gotten to know lots of different cultures because of that program,” Jessica says. “We’ve had employees from Turkey, China, Russia and more.”
Words of Wisdom
The character building the Alveys promote with their employees extends to their own children as well. All six of their children have worked at Stan’s. The younger three still do today. “It’s fun to run a family establishment,” Jessica says. “That doesn’t happen much anymore.”
Duke and Jessica have plans for the future of their business, updating bathrooms and expanding the gift shop, but the future of their community seems equally critical.
“For independent retailers, it’s especially important to care about the community you’re in and to try to make it better,” she says. “People will support you. They’ll come to you over big-box stores because they’ll know that you care.”
In addition to traditional convenience items, Stan’s offers a wide selection of summer-fun goods, including swimwear, souvenirs, camping gear and fishing equipment.
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