If you've driven by the corner of Dodd and Vikings Lake Parkway lately, your nose probably told you before your GPS did: there’s a new burger joint in town. My Burger, the Twin Cities-born smash burger spot, opened its newest location in Eagan in October 2024—and it’s not just any burger chain.
Owned and operated by the Abdo family, My Burger is a rare kind of local success story. It’s corporate, yes—but not in the cold, cookie-cutter kind of way. Paul and John Abdo, two of the four siblings behind the business (and cousins and friends round out the rest), grew up on food, flavor, and family traditions. And it shows.
A Family Legacy of Enjoyable Food
“We were pretty much born into the food business,” says Paul Abdo, the self-proclaimed Chief Burger Evangelist and the second oldest of the Abdo siblings. His brother John, the President and CEO, calls himself the Chief Burger Enthusiast—and together, they’re leading the charge behind the family-run burger chain that’s anything but ordinary. Their parents ran a pita sandwich concept around the Twin Cities, managed Dairy Queen locations in Maryland, and have been feeding crowds at the Minnesota State Fair for over 50 years.
“Our dad actually went to school in California and fell in love with the drive-in burger model,” Paul adds. “When the opportunity came up to start something of our own, burgers were just a natural fit.”
That opportunity came in 2003 when a downtown Minneapolis building lease fell through at the last minute. At the time, their dad was lecturing on entrepreneurship at the University of Notre Dame. Paul and his dad were on a flight to campus when inspiration hit. “He literally wrote the business plan for My Burger on the plane,” Paul says.
By 2004, the first My Burger was up and running—and now, with locations across the Twin Cities and a new one in Woodbury on the way this summer, they’ve made a name for themselves by doing three things really well: burgers, fries, and customer care.
What’s Your Flavor Sensation?
“My go-to is the double original with cheese—ketchup, mustard, fried onions, sweet pickles. And fries, always,” says John Abdo, My Burger’s President and CEO. Paul keeps it classic, too: a double with cheese, ketchup, and dill pickles.
Their brother Corey, another owner, leans California-style with a cheesy Double Cali and likes to weigh in on the more adventurous Burger of the Month picks—like this past April’s flaming hot Cheeto-topped creation.
And here’s their sister Mandy’s favorite—she’s the oldest of the bunch. Her pick? A Double Original with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, and dill pickles. A little spicy, a little crunchy, and totally her own.
“We’ve got 12 different burgers of the month each year. Some of them go pretty far off the rails, and we love that,” John shares. “But we always bring it back to the classics. That’s our foundation.”
Fries come piping hot. Shakes rotate with “Shake of the Moment” flavors. And while you’ll order at the counter, don’t expect to be left alone after that.
Coming up in June? The Campfire Burger: a signature quarter-pound patty, seasoned and smashed to perfection, topped with peppered bacon, crushed red pepper flakes, hot pepper cheese, BBQ garlic mayo, lettuce, and tomatoes. It’s smoky, spicy, and everything summer should taste like.
A Fast Food Focus on Hospitality and Lending a Helping Hand
“We’re a quick-serve spot, but once your order’s in, we go full-service,” says John. “We bus your trays, check in to see how things are going, and try to bring back that old-school hospitality.”
In fact, hospitality is the beating heart of My Burger’s mission—and it’s something they doubled down on after the pandemic.
“A lot of places went toward kiosks and robots. We did the opposite,” John says. “We believe in people taking care of people. We’re trying to create burger fanatics out of first-timers.”
And they’re not just serving up kindness inside the restaurant. My Burger partners with Every Meal, a nonprofit dedicated to fighting food insecurity in local schools. For every shake or malt sold during their seasonal fundraiser, $1 goes to the organization.
“We love to get out into the community, too—packing meals, helping wherever we can,” Paul says. “And we’re big supporters of youth sports. We do fundraisers at all of our locations, donating 25% of sales from those events back to the programs.”
If you’re starting to feel like this place is about more than burgers, you’re not wrong. My Burger may be expanding, but it’s doing so with its heart intact. It’s a place where you can build your own burger with mustard, dill pickles, and whatever your heart desires—and know that the team behind the counter actually cares that you’re there.
With each new location, the Abdos are serving up something bigger than a quick meal—they’re dishing out a little slice of Minnesota family flavor.
“We want to be your go-to burger joint,” John says. “One visit at a time.”
“We’re not just selling burgers—we’re serving hospitality, one tray at a time.”
"We’re a quick-serve spot, but once your order’s in, we go full-service. We bus your trays, check in to see how things are going, and try to bring back that old-school hospitality.”