In November 2014, when Ali Jawad was just 21 years old, he opened his first Taystee’s Burgers restaurant inside of his grandfather’s gas station in Dearborn.

The humble burger joint had a simple menu featuring five burgers. It has since evolved, now offering a full menu with dozens of specialty burgers, chicken sandwiches, vegan options, beef hot dogs, chicken wings, wraps, and more.

What helped Taystee’s take off was winning the 2016 Detroit Burger Brawl for the “Best Burger in Metro Detroit.”

“There were around 15 restaurants that participated – from million-dollar restaurants to a little gas station restaurant with one location – and we won first place,” Jawad said.

When the news came out, people come to Taystee’s in droves to sample the “best burger in Metro Detroit.”

“Since then, we just kind of took off from there and never really looked back,” Jawad said.

Now, Taystee’s has nine Metro Detroit locations, including the newest addition in Woodhaven, with three more on the way.

The local chain has gone on to receive plenty of recognition, winning WDIV Detroit’s “Best American Cuisine” in 2017-2018, WDIV Detroit’s “Best Burger” from 2017-2019 and Jawad being featured in the Forbes 30 Under 30 for Food and Drink in 2022.

Despite its rapid expansion, Taystee’s remains firmly rooted in the values that made it successful from the start: fresh, high-quality food, strong community connections and a genuine love for the people they serve.

“We like to highlight city landmarks in each store, support the local schools and be proud of every city that we’re in and work together,” Jawad said. “It’s more of a thank you than anything else.”

The Woodhaven location is owned and operated by Hussien Saghir, who was one of Jawad’s first team members and started as a delivery driver when Taystee’s opened over a decade ago.

“We used to joke about him owning his own store, now 10 years later, he’s got two stores, and I couldn’t be more proud of him,” Jawad said.

As the franchisee, Saghir takes a very hands-on approach, working in his stores every day.

“I want people to know that we’re here and it’s not a big corporate chain where they don’t have anyone to talk to,” Saghir said. “I’m in the stores every single day and want to hear from customers to make sure they have the best experience possible.”

At Taystee’s, fast service doesn’t mean a compromise in quality. In addition to providing the best possible customer service, the restaurant serves only the best possible food, staying true to its mission even as the chain has expanded.

“Sometimes when people hear franchise, they think frozen food,” Jawad said. “We get all our meat, bread, vegetables, delivered fresh daily. It’s important to me that as we continue to grow as a brand, we never forget how we started and what worked in the beginning.”

He also emphasized the company’s values and mission to never settle or become average.

Visit Taystee’s Burgers at 20993 West Road in Woodhaven seven days a week. For more information, visit www.taysteesburgers.com or call (734) 982-3127.