The chalkboard inside Becky's Burger Barn at 1702 N. Spruce St., festively welcomes customers into the new restaurant on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022. Owners Becky Royal-Boyd and her husband, Jerry, have been working on cleaning and remodeling the interior of the building that will house an expansion of their movable Burger Wagon. 

LA GRANDE — A food service trailer known as Becky’s Burger Wagon will expand its operation into the former Palermos restaurant at 1702 N. Spruce St., La Grande, under a new business name: Becky’s Burger Barn.

Owners Becky Royal-Boyd and her husband, Jerry, purchased the restaurant property in November.

Prior to the purchase, Royal-Boyd had been operating the movable Burger Wagon, a business she and her husband started in 2018. The trailer will continue to be used for catering jobs specifically, she said

“Right now, the Burger Wagon (food trailer) is still operating in full swing in the parking lot at the Spruce Street location until the remodel is finished, and we can move in,” she said.

Since the new restaurant won’t have waitresses, people can call 541-910-4435 and pick up their order to go, or they can order inside and dine in, Royal-Boyd explained.

“The familiar menu from Becky’s Burger Wagon will be brought into the new building, including burgers, fries, hot dogs and kielbasas,” she said.

Among the burger offerings customers may order hamburgers, cheeseburgers, bacon cheeseburgers, mushroom Swiss burgers and Western burgers with pepper smoked bacon, cheese and an onion ring topped with homemade barbecue sauce.

“We also do breakfast burritos,” she added.

Becky’s Burger Barn will carry on the tradition of making specialty sandwiches like Philly cheesesteaks, Reubens, French dips, patty melts, grilled cheese or turkey bacon and Swiss on grilled sourdough.

For beverages, Becky’s Burger Barn will carry Pepsi products, Sierra Mist, Dr Pepper, root beer and lemonade.

“If we have enough manpower, we will deliver,” she said. “Just check with us when you call in your order.”

Royal-Boyd has a lot of fun things planned for the new building.

“We’re going to add to that menu and try to do a Fiesta Friday in our near future,” she said. “It’s going to be a lot of fun stuff, like a taco, nacho and potato bar.”

Royal-Boyd also envisions using the new building to host a craft night led by an instructor, and she wants to start a coffee club.

“We’ll serve regular coffee right now, but as we get going, we’ll make other coffees,” she said.

The new restaurant space will have seating for 24 people.

“In the future we might be able to lease out the space for small parties,” she said. “We’ll also have a gift shop featuring country crafts and arts.”