If you're dining at Cheeseburger Randy's and want to speak to the person in charge, don't ask for Randy because there isn't one. There will be plenty of people extra willing to engage with you, though, including Alex and Marcus as well as Faith, Caleb, Sam, and Sand.

Alex Warner is the man who had the vision for the place, and Marcus Owens is his longtime friend from Colorado who moved here last year to help make it happen. And there's no doubt that Cheeseburger Randy's is happening in downtown Foley, which is seeing quite a revitalization thanks to good, positive energy like theirs.

"We're a patio burger bar," says Marcus, who lives with his wife in a classic bungalow just steps from the kitchen. "I kind of think of it as a food truck concept that we put in a building because we found this great location that we were lucky enough to get into."

The location is 209 S. Alston Street, which over the years has been home to such businesses as Rosie Lee's Fudge and Candies Shop and Sugar, Spice & Soul Café. The concept was smash burgers, expertly executed and served with lots of smiles. As renovations to the historic building extended longer than expected, they had more time to kick around potential names for their venture. They wanted something unusual and memorable.

"At first we were going to name it after Marcus' wife, Jenny, and it was going to be very different as far as aesthetics go," says Alex, who certainly gets mistaken for "Randy" the most. "But then we looked at maybe Cheeseburger Alex's or Cheeseburger Marcus', but those didn't really sound good, and then we started asking people 'What do you think about Cheeseburger Randy's?' Someone said, "That is a terrible name; It sounds like where mechanics go to smoke cigarettes," and we said, 'That's exactly what it is.'"

Well, maybe not exactly, but people with both grease and nicotine staining their fingers would surely be welcomed and made to feel at home. Cheeseburger Randy's is a lively place filled with happy faces, upbeat overhead music, tantalizing aromas, and a menu so basic that Alex's sister, Faith, can cheerfully describe it in detail in just under a minute.

There are three kinds of burgers. All have two thin, griddle-seared patties on a pillowy bun with melted American cheese and dressed with shredded lettuce, sliced pickles, and a zingy house-made sauce that starts with a base of Thousand Island dressing. While that covers the basic model, deluxe versions include either sliced Conecuh sausage or a mixture of cream cheese and chopped jalapeños. Side dish options are fries, onion rings, or a combination of the two.

"People love that it's so simple," says Faith. "You go to other places, and it's hard to do really well with 75 things on the menu, but we've got it down to a streamlined science, and it's so good. I eat it like five to six times a week."

The open-air restaurant opened a year ago, but until recently, it was only open in the evenings, from 4 to 8. The shift to include lunch hours, from 11 to 1, was met with a clamor of enthusiasm when they launched it in mid-September. A trial run the day before the daytime debut kept them hopping and gave them a good idea of what was to come.

"We thought we'd give away a hundred cheeseburgers, for free, and get everything running up to speed for lunch," Marcus recalls. "When we arrived, there were probably 45 people already in line, and at 11, when we opened, the line was quickly out the front door and all the way to the corner at the end of the street. We ended up giving away probably 200 cheeseburgers."

Originally from Michigan, Alex had lived in Foley during his high school years but set off to explore other places, including Seattle and Denver. On return visits, he says, he kept seeing more potential back home. In a way, he joined the family business: his mother and aunt have owned the popular Copper Kettle Tea Bar in Foley for many years. Before launching Cheeseburger Randy's, he had tested the waters with Bagel Boy just a few blocks away.

He looks back at the first year with relief that they pulled it off and excitement for the future. He doesn't want to alter Cheeseburger Randy's too much, he says, though he is considering a few changes. They already have a liquor license, so they may soon add frozen margaritas to the offerings. He and Marcus say they want to be careful not to lean too far away from being the fun, casual eatery with the comfortable, laid-back vibe that it already is.

"We have some beers," says Alex, "but we're also a very kid-friendly, family-friendly restaurant, so we didn't want to turn it into a bar."

Another example of their simplified approach is that at Cheeseburger Randy's, you have to order the old-fashioned way, by standing in line at the counter and ordering in person.

"You can't call in, you can't order online, you have to be here," Alex says. "Burgers and fries are meant to be eaten now, not 40 minutes later after someone delivers them to you."

He realizes he could sell more of them by giving people those other options, but for now, at least he's holding firm. It plays into his approach of being a hands-on proprietor, mingling closely with his customers. 

"I want to interact with everyone that comes through," says Alex. "I like being able to talk to all the people here and actually look at them so I can see that they're enjoying everything."