Locally Owned
Johnny B’s Burgers & Shakes A Southlake staple serves up local pride and a family atmosphere Article Mark Zeske
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hen you walk into Johnny B’s Burgers & Shakes, there’s little doubt about your location. You are in the city of Southlake. Owner John Bruce Finlayson – the Johnny B in the restaurant’s name – has a simple formula for success. He believes in quality products, personal service, a throwback to yesterday, and a commitment to community. Many of the wall decorations celebrate Southlake Carroll High School, which all three of Finlayson’s children attended. There’s also some love for Texas Tech, again the school of choice for the Finlayson kids. The walls are covered with plaques of youth sports teams that Johnny B’s sponsored, a time-honored tradition for the small-town, family-owned burger places of the past that Finlayson patterned his restaurant after. Perhaps the best known menu item at Johnny B’s is the Dragonburger, a triple cheeseburger with jalapenos and chili. The Dragons are the name of Carroll’s high school teams. Wall space is also devoted to photos of 16 OneFourteen Lifestyle | August 2014
Southlake citizens holding up a sign reading “Eat at Johnny B’s after the game.” These pictures, a trend started by American Airline pilots who frequent the restaurant, are from famous spots all over the world. Pictures include patrons at the Great Wall of China, Niagara Falls, the Eiffel Tower and the Arctic Circle. Finlayson doesn’t invest in advertising, depending on word of mouth and standing in the community. “We’ve been better off giving back to the community, schools, youth sports, charities, than we have spending money on advertising,” he said. “We’ve been very generous, probably to a fault, but I feel that giving back is part of having a good life.” When Johnny B’s opened a decade ago, it was the 27th restaurant in Southlake. Now there are more than 160. The restaurant needs a whole page on the back of its menu to list the awards and honors it has received. “We just try to give them an old-fashioned cheeseburger, just like the one they had growing up,” Finlayson said. Finlayson goes simply by “John” now, but
was called “Johnny B” when he was growing up to distinguish him from his father. Finlayson inherited not only his father’s name, but his love of the community and passion for a good cheeseburger. His father operated a hamburger joint for 30 years in a small town in northern Missouri, where he designed the Little League baseball field and helped found the high school’s booster club. The elder Finlayson also found time to officiate football games, serving as a NFL referee for 14 years and the supervisor of officials for the Big Eight Conference for 15. “I started working at my dad’s place when I was old enough to see over the counter,” Finlayson said. “I started off by sweeping the floors and taking out the trash.” But instead of immediately following his father into the burger business, Finlayson spent 30 years working for Ryder Systems, a $6 billion logistics and supply company best known for its rental trucks. He rose to the level of vice president of sales, with his career path including stops in Amarillo, Phoenix, Tucson, Los Angeles, San Diego and Nashville. Finally, 16 years ago, the family decided they were tired of moving. Finlayson wanted his three young kids to grow up in Southlake.