Business owner Travis Lee of Travie’s Patties vividly remembers helping his mom in the kitchen while he was growing up.
“She was always eager to teach us and include us in the process, whether it was cooking or baking,” he says. “She loved preparing all of my brother’s and my favorite dishes. I became her little ‘food critic,’ always excited to taste whatever new creation she came up with.”
Lee’s passion for trying new foods — both locally and while traveling to new countries — continued as he got older. His expanding palate led him to take classes at Kapiʻolani Community College’s culinary program, and eventually work at Tokoname Sushi Bar and Restaurant in Kailua.
“The owner, Jeff Howdeshell, gave me the opportunity to become head chef at his restaurant,” Lee says. “My mentor, Harry Nakashima — now head chef at Gyotaku — trained me meticulously during my time there, and I learned so much under his guidance. To this day, I continue to seek his advice and wisdom.”
After seeing many successful small pop-ups at local farmers markets, Lee became curious about starting his own business. He recalls spending hours researching and talking to other small business owners before finally deciding to launch Travie’s Patties.
The biz, which specializes in smashburgers, was inspired by one of Lee’s favorite foods.
“[I wanted] to build something that combined bold flavors with a fun, customizable concept,” he says. “Smashburgers gave me the freedom to showcase my favorite flavor combinations, and experiment with unique sauces and toppings.”
Travie’s Patties celebrated its grand opening at Village Night Market in August. The business model represents speed, affordability and quality, according to Lee.
“I wanted Travie’s Patties to be a place where customers can get a hot, made-to-order smashburger without the long wait or high price tag,” he says. “By keeping our prices fair and our flavors fresh, we’ve built a loyal customer base that trusts and enjoys what we do."
Since family members and friends call him “Trav,” coming up with a business name was fun for Lee.
“Every business needs a name people can remember,” he says. “When we started brainstorming burger-related names, ‘Travie’s Patties’ just stuck. It’s fun, catchy and easy to remember.”
Lee remembers experimenting with recipes and gathering food taste testers to perfect his signature burgers and sauces. He designed the business’s menu to be simple, but packed with flavor; its main features include Chimmy ($9 single, $12 double) and the McTravie ($9 single, $12 double).
Both burgers start with a homemade ground sirloin patty mix, grilled onions, a slice of American cheese and crispy cheese crisp atop soft, garlic-buttered potato buns. Customers can add lettuce and tomato at no extra charge, according to Lee.
“We are proud to use locally sourced ingredients from D.Otani Produce,” he says. “The Chimmy comes with our housemade chimichurri aioli, which has a little garlicky, spicy kick. The McTravie features our housemade classic burger sauce with your choice of homemade regular or spicy pickles.”
The biz also offers shoestring fries ($4) and tater tots ($4), which both come with ketchup and the business’s signature chimichurri aioli.
The business recently added a dirty drinks section, which includes dirty sodas, to its menu. A dirty soda is a non-alcoholic drink, which is made “dirty” by being mixed with flavored purees, juices, syrups or cream, according to Lee.
Popular options include The Landshark ($7) — a combo of Sprite, blue raspberry, strawberry puree and gummy sharks — and The Girly ($9). The latter features a pink slush Alani Nu energy drink base with strawberry puree, cream and cold foam.
“The Dirty Alani Nu ($9) uses the energy drink base, then is built the same way (with flavored syrups and purees),” Lee explains. “Lilo’s iced tea ($6) is our take on the famous local-style iced tea, for those wanting a refreshing option.”
The biz loves to celebrate its customers, according to Lee, who says they started an interactive weekly discount called “Player of the Week.” Before each event, the biz announces its featured “player.” Customers then receive a sports player card with a letter and a number as their order placeholder instead of a ticket. If their card matches the business’s player of the week at checkout, the customers get a discount.
“People love it so much that some even try to buy their player cards to keep as souvenirs,” Lee says. “It’s become a fun and unexpected way to connect with our customers while they wait for their food.”
Stay updated with the business by following Travie’s Patties on Instagram. The biz is scheduled to be at Taste of Aloha Night Market — which is every second Saturday of the month — for the rest of the year. You can also find the biz at various local farmers markets and upcoming holiday craft fairs, the Village Night Market at Pealridge Center on Nov. 15 and 808 Craft and Gift Holiday Craft Fair on Dec. 6. The biz also offers catering for private events and fundraisers.
“I want to say a heartfelt ‘thank you’ to all our customers — new and returning — as well as our close friends and family, who volunteer their time to help run our pop-ups,” Lee says. “Your support means the world to us. I’m humbled by how many people want to see us succeed. That motivation keeps me pushing forward every single day.”
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CONTACT
Travie’s Patties
Instagram: @traviespatties
Kelli Shiroma Braiotta can be reached at kelli@alohastatedaily.com.
