Iowa’s Best Burger Cafe sells, among other things, hamburgers and cheese curds (pictured). | Iowa’s Best Burger Cafe photos
Along the bustling U.S. Interstate 80 corridor in Iowa, differentiating from other convenience-store/travel centers means leveraging core capabilities to the max. It also means sprinkling in unique experiential ancillary amenities to serve as further brand ammunition.
At Iowa’s Best Burger Cafe in Kellogg, Iowa, the “three-legged stool” approach is championing that effort rather deftly, according to owner Scott Keenan, proprietor of the business since 2016.
“Our three-legged stool is ‘cafe, campground and convenience store’ (with Amoco fuel),” Keenan said. “The cafe is a 50-50 mix of travelers and locals. The campground and c-store are an 80-20 mix of travelers to locals. We’re truly a unique spot. Our grounds are covered in artwork by local artists, from a Norman Rockwell-style tryptic, to Grant Wood-inspired concrete parking barrier, to tree carvings.”
In fact, art sculptures and intriguing decor add a certain curb appeal that enhances the charm of Iowa’s Best Burger Cafe, located along a stretch of interstate road where charm, from a retail standpoint, is in short supply.
With roots as a roadside auto repair shop when the interstate was built in the 1960s, the property on which Iowa’s Best Burger Cafe is positioned churned through multiple owners of that iteration until 1987, when it transitioned to a cafe. Keenan took charge in 2016.
One leg of the three C’s is the popular cafe, where the food menu is paced by legendary burgers. Iowa’s Best Burger Cafe has served almost 10 million hamburgers and serves a meal about every 40 seconds. “What sets our burgers apart is a cooking method combined with the freshest toppings,” said Keenan, who has five full-time employees and six part-timers. “We char-broil at 1,200 degrees, searing juices and flavor into burgers.”
The kitchen team scores meat patties, infusing a proprietary seasoning blend, and then tops sandwiches with locally sourced vegetables of tomatoes, onions, lettuce and dill pickles, along with a homemade Best Burger Sauce, Keenan said.
“Two customers can get a burger, fries, drink and dessert (single-dip ice cream cone) for less than $30, a price point unmatched for the quality of food served,” said Keenan, whose operational motto for staff is: “Be nice, be helpful, and you’ll be the best.”
Read ahead for an edited interview with owner Keenan, with c-store roots tracing to his younger years at Casey’s General Stores.
Q: How did you get involved in convenience/travel center retailing?
A: I worked in a local Casey’s General Store at an early age and learned a lot about systems. My prior experience in the convenience store, restaurant and entertainment industries converged in one place at Iowa’s Best Burger Cafe. The part of this career that motivates me is seeing how I can create better and more efficient systems inside of the business. It’s important to not only work in your business but take time to work on your business.
Q: Along the busy I-80 corridor, how does this store stand apart in attracting everyone from professional drivers to travelers and locals?
A: I think the quality of our food is the main attraction. Many of our recipes/sauces are unique to only here: We created it and we make it. Our ice cream is exclusive to us, and it’s so creamy. Most folks’ ice creams start at around 10% milkfat. We start ours at 14% milkfat. That’s where the silky texture comes from and that’s what keeps the customers coming back. We don’t offer near the abundance of amenities that huge truck stops offer. It’s for that reason that the ones that know about us love us because it’s not one of those stops where trucks are piled on top of one another, but it’s an easy in and out.
Q: You are known for burgers, but the list of culinary options appears deep?
A: Our customers come for the burgers and end up staying for the ice cream and all our other menu options. Our burger numbers stay fairly steady year over year, but all the accompanying menu items around it have seen steady growth. Our BBQ pork burger comes from a local farmer—plus there’s gulf shrimp, cod plank fish, grilled pork loin, BBQ beef with homemade sauce, house-made coleslaw and a Midwestern delicacy known as the breaded tenderloin. We aim for 10% (foodservice) growth every year, and we have surpassed that every year since 2022.
Q: How was the operation able to cope with the exorbitant beef costs?
A: If you continue to deliver a quality product and customers perceive value, then the price is secondary to the experience. If you cheapen the product and the experience while increasing the price, that only ends badly long term. I believe it’s important for an owner to try and view their business from a consumer perspective and not just from an owner’s when making decisions. Our menu is diverse, and that’s the key: Give the customer options, and they’ll choose what best fits within their budget.
Q: Looking back on 2026 to this point, what have been the pros and cons?
A: The operation has continued to grow year over year. This past year we grew by 14%. That’s not been without challenges, though. I think it’s the same story across the industry: Price increases from vendors and manufacturers alike have made it more and more challenging to remain profitable while still delivering value to the customer. When all else is equal, your customer service and personal/local touch help be the competitive advantage.
Q: Describe your fuel forecourt?
A: We are an Amoco-branded retailer offering regular 88 (E-15), premium 91 (no ethanol), clear diesel and off-road diesel (lawn mowers, tractors) at four fuel islands and eight dispensers. I was in the design stage of installing EV chargers in 2022 before funding was cut for that government program. When the funding eventually comes back online, we will pursue it. We have a 204-kilowatt solar array on our site that complements that business plan well.
Q: What’s your management team’s approach to finding and retaining solid workers?
A: I cite a book called “E-Myth.” One of the many valuable lessons in that book has to do with a phrase for hiring: “Be slow to hire and quick to fire.” First, we only bring team members on that are a good fit with our established team, and if we make a miscalculation in a hire, we waste no time in letting them know they aren’t a good fit and it’s time to part ways. Second, we create success with our employees by creating and having good systems in place that also allow them freedom of thought and ability to do more if desired, while being accountable for the results of the established systems. Third, we pay well—our full-time staff make a top-of-market hourly wage with retirement and health benefits. If you pay minimum-wage help, you get minimum-wage results.
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Dining and Cooking