50 years of ‘Burgers made with love’

“It was on the old Highway 30,” Rex Tegen explained.

In 1966, Jim Dahlen re-opened the drive-in with partner Ted Beckley using the name “Big Jim's.” Two years later, Beckley bought out Dahlen and continued to run a successful business until 1988, when he built the current building: The old Big Jim's Drive-In, located where the parking lot is now — 2938 E. Second Street — was demolished.

After building the new Big Jim's, Ted and Lynda Beckley spent eight more years in the restaurant before selling to Rex and Beth Tegen in 1997.

Tegen, who grew up in Yakima, Wash., had been working for Pepsi in The Dalles for 23 years. Tegen has set his own stamp on the Big Jim's restaurant, and its original slogan.

“I've added quite a few different varieties and sizes of sandwiches,” he said.

His additions include fresh fruit in the milkshake line-up, and a switch to local Northwest beef as well. “It's fresher,” he said of the meat. “I order it, it's ground that day and delivered the next day. There is better quality control, and the beef is packaged the way I like it,” he added.

Big Jim's isn't a restaurant chain, and Tegen doesn't try to compete on price.

“Our traditional burgers are a third of a pound, topped with only the best produce and our homemade burger dressing for a flavor that chain restaurants can't even come close to,” he said.

To compete with franchises, “you have to be fresher, have a higher quality product and better customer service,” he added. “It hasn't been easy competing against the national chains, with their buying power,” he said. “We constantly train in customer service, and good food. We concentrate on the taste and quality of the food, and attention to detail.”

As a result, sales are up 15 percent this year, and grew 12 percent last year, said Tegen.

He said the big payback for good service and a quality product is repeat customers. “We get a lot of repeat customers from Portland, Seattle,

Eastern Oregon. They plan their trip so they can have lunch here. We are very popular with people driving down the gorge.”

“Repeat business is key,” he noted. “That's true for any business.” It isn't just travelers who stop by the restaurant, either. Local customers make up about 60 percent of his customers, Tegen said. Being in The Dalles, Tegen serves a geographically large “local” area: Grass Valley, Goldendale and Arlington, to name a few areas that generate local sales. “We have a very large customer base,” he said.

The restaurant serves between 600 and 1,000 customers a day. Weekend traffic is especially brisk. “We do a phenomenal business, Friday through Sunday,” he said.

It's a lot of work to maintain a busy restaurant, Tegan said, but he maintains a strict regimen of cleaning that regularly earns the highest rating possible from local health agencies. “We have a seven days a week cleaning regiment. You have to, when you are serving this many people.”

As a result, the restaurant looks new inside despite its 28 years of service.

“My wife and I take pride in the business, and in our employees,” he said.

Milly Will manages the restaurant, and Linda Beiter is the assistant manager.

Displayed next to the entrance is a row of awards with employee names on them. These recognize the “employee of the moment,” Tegan explained.

“It's for doing something beyond the call of duty, it lets them feel that they have done well.” The recognition includes a cash award as well.

“I teach a good work ethic, to be dependable, responsible, to grow as a person and be successful in life,” he said of his workers. “I give great referrals, as well as give them jobs.”

Big Jim's is also a supporter of the community, donating to schools, churches and the fundraisers of service clubs and other nonprofit groups. They feed all the volunteers during the Christmas Tree Pickup fundraiser for the Lions Club, for example.

“Customers have given us their dollars, we are giving back to those in need,” he explained.

What does the next 50 years hold for Big Jim's?

This summer, Tegen will be offering a host of anniversary specials — check for local radio and newspaper ads — and plans to continue making hamburgers in The Dalles for years to come.

“If I was 15 years younger, I would build four more Big Jim's,” Tegen added. “It's hard work, but it's been really good. It's been a great business.”

Big Jim's can be reached at 541-298-5051, via email at comments@ bigjimsdrivein.com, or visit online at bigjimsdrivein.com. Summer hours are 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily.