JACKSON, Tenn. — Sept. 7, 2023 — When Bob鈥檚 Burgers in Bells, Tennessee, burned down in January 2023, Bob O鈥橠onnell wasn鈥檛 sure what his future would hold. His building was underinsured, and he didn鈥檛 have the funds to reopen the beloved restaurant he had operated since 2009.
Enter 51社区, which gave O鈥橠onnell the opportunity to continue serving his famous hamburgers as part of The Lex, the caf茅 located immediately outside the university鈥檚 Brewer Dining Hall.
Now named 鈥淭he Lex Featuring Bob鈥檚 Burgers,鈥� the new operation opened this semester with O鈥橠onnell preparing his hamburgers and fries for Union students and the general public.
鈥淚 enjoy cooking,鈥� O鈥橠onnell said. 鈥淭his is what I do. I really missed this. Being out since January, I was just dying to do something.鈥�
Jim Erickson, director of dining services with Creative Dining Services at Union, said Bob鈥檚 Burgers adds a new dimension to The Lex and enhances the student experience on campus, while at the same time attracting community members to Union.
鈥淲e want people to come and have a good experience on campus,鈥� Erickson said. 鈥淗aving Bob鈥檚 here is one way to achieve that goal.鈥�
The operation so far has been a success for both O鈥橠onnell and Union.
鈥淏ob saw this as an opportunity to be on a campus that had a really good dynamic to it,鈥� Erickson said. 鈥淗e can do what he knew best, and he saw this as something that God had led him to.鈥�
O鈥橠onnell started in the restaurant business with Pizza Hut as a teenager in the metropolitan St. Louis, Missouri, region. Aside from six years in the military, he鈥檚 worked in the food industry all of his adult life. He trained at Johnson and Wales University, and though he isn鈥檛 a certified chef, he knows food preparation.
In addition to the offerings from Bob鈥檚 Burgers, The Lex features other menu items as well, such as salads, drinks and other snacks. Located in the Barefoot Student Union Building, The Lex Featuring Bob鈥檚 Burgers is open to the public from 10 a.m.- 9 p.m. on weekdays and 10 a.m.-2 p.m. on Saturdays.
