Burgers, ice cream, service keep restaurant growing

It’s been a long road in a short time for Duke’s Sweets and Treats. The Wasilla burger joint, which recently moved into larger digs to accommodate growing demand, got its start in 2021 selling ice cream out of a trailer at rodeos and other events around the state. Partners Ron Tracy and Tiffany Morrison added their signature Duke’s burger shortly after that, and it was off and running from there.

“Desserts got us started, and we worked our way up,” Tracy said. “We made our own ingredients and came up with things others didn’t have. It’s been a lot of work.”

That work has paid off. With ingenuity, creativity and an expanded menu, the pair was able to trade in their trailer for a tiny warehouse space behind a strip mall in Wasilla in November 2022. It didn’t take long for demand for the restaurant’s big burgers and ice cream treats to help Duke’s outgrow that space, too. By April of this year, they took over the West Parks Highway space formerly occupied by Chepo’s.

Perhaps the biggest example of Duke’s rapid growth is its off-premise business, Hot Shot Catering. For the last three summers, Tracy, Morrison and their staff have had the contract to feed wildland firefighting crews in Alaska.

“Duke’s was our stepping stone to feeding firefighters,” Tracy said. This year, what started out as an expected two-week gig at the fire near Healy turned into 35 days of exhausting work feeding 350-400 firefighters three meals a day.

“We were fully focused on feeding firefighters,” Tracy said. “We’re their morale. We’re the first ones they wake up to and the last ones they see before bed.” Despite those long days that sometimes stretched to 20 hours, Tracy said the work is gratifying.

“I never thought something could be so rewarding,” he said. “The appreciation you get is like none other.”

With its annual off-site catering gig finished, Duke’s reopened in early August and is back to the regular grind of serving up its burgers and sweet treats. In addition to its appealing menu, the restaurant gives patrons another reason to keep coming back.

“All of our employees know customer service is No. 1,” Tracy said. “If we don’t have that, we don’t have anything. It’s important to us to make our customers feel like someone.”

Rapid growth and a dedicated base of return customers are testament to Duke’s good work. Tracy said since moving in to the new space, with its refurbished kitchen and extra seating capacity, business has almost doubled. There’s something about those burgers, too. The ever-popular Duke’s burger is a tower of flavor with its sausage patty and quarter-pound seasoned beef burger sharing a bun with pickles, grilled onions, home-made pickled jalapenos, and two kinds of cheese – cheddar and pepper jack – all on a toasted brioche bun.

That’s not even the largest burger on the menu. That title goes to the aptly named Duke’s Monster Double Burger. The Monster Double starts with a Duke’s burger but adds a slice of toasted sourdough bread to separate the patties. Lettuce, tomato, and bacon are also added to the other ingredients.

In addition to the eight featured burgers, Duke’s offers 10 other sandwiches, including classics like grilled cheese, BLT, and French dip that all have a unique Duke’s spin. Sides include chili, soups, and seasoned crinkle-cut fries in four different presentations.

The ice cream treats – sundaes, floats, and malts – that launched Duke’s invite exploration for diners who managed to save room for dessert.

“We like people to leave full and happy,” Tracy said. “If it has to do with skimping on something, I don’t want anything to do with it.”

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www.dukesweetsandtreats.com