Nestled inside an unpretentious shopping center off Jupiter Road and Plano Parkway resides a local favorite with a somewhat familiar name, a neon green sign and a shiny new makeover. East Plano residents may be familiar with the Nest Burger of the past decade. But as of September 2019, this fast-casual burger restaurant has undergone a complete menu and branding renovation through the capable hands of new owners Dipesh Pandey and Sheena Pabari.
The recently married couple have proven to be a dynamic pair, with Sheena’s marketing skills – she’s currently vice president of content services for Real Page, Inc. – and the restaurant industry knowledge and experience gained by Dipesh throughout the years.
Dipesh didn’t always plan on being a restaurateur, though. “My plan was to be a CPA. I went to college, and I was working for Applebee’s at the time,” he said. In 2008 he had begun earning his master’s degree when Applebee’s offered him a managerial position. Since he was young, single and wanted to take advantage of on-the-job training while still earning his degree, Dipesh traveled all over New Mexico managing multiple franchise locations throughout the state.
It was at that point he decided that a sedentary job just would never be for him; he was good at this hospitality business. It was exciting and revitalizing for him. He purchased his very own diner-style establishment in 2010. The then-26-year-old embarked on a journey of restaurant ownership, learning as many vital lessons as he could along the way. It was pedal to the metal until an unforeseen illness fell upon his mother and Dipesh had to take a sabbatical to care for her in Nepal.
When he returned to the States, he jumped back into the hospitality business without missing a beat. That’s when he was introduced to the original Nest Burger. The owners were struggling and looking to sell. Dipesh thought to himself, “I think I can make this place into something else,” just by doing what he has trained to do for the majority of his working career. And that’s exactly what he did.
A large, colorful mural was added outside next to the windows, and the country-chic lettering and wood panels inside were replaced with minimalist black and steel details.
Nest Burger’s menu became simplified and focused, with signature flavors like the bright, bold house seasoning and the tangy, spicy, creamy Nest Sauce interwoven throughout each dish.
Perhaps the most notable aspect of the newly renovated menu is that glorious house seasoning which Dipesh describes as both “Texas and barbeque.” These earthy flavors can be found generously coating Nest Burger’s delicious side items including the giant onion rings, fried mushrooms and crispy seasoned french fries.
Though the sides could easily stand on their own, the real stars and namesakes of this restaurant are the burgers themselves. These meaty, juicy, flavor-filled, big bites of Heaven between buttery, toasted brioche buns are worth coming back for time and time again. Like the Big Ole Plano BBQ Burger, a towering one-third of a pound beef patty topped with fried onion rings, cheddar cheese, veggies, pickles and BBQ sauce, that will only cost $8 to enjoy.
It’s not all beef here, either. The diverse menu also offers a crispy, pecan-crusted chicken burger, a Mediterranean lamb burger and internationally inspired vegetarian options that include a fried paneer cheese and a spicy aloo-seasoned potato-patty burger.
Another noteworthy fact is that 85 percent of Nest Burger’s packaging is biodegradable. This is an intentional effort that Dipesh wanted to standardize as one of the foundations of the restaurant, especially if expansion happens, as they hope.
Great food, great service and good karma are all important to Dipesh and Sheena.
“I grew up with [Nepalese] culture. You change, but your core doesn’t change. One of those things is [that] feeding people is good karma,” said Dipesh. “You can eat a burger anywhere. I want you to come in and enjoy my food. It’s from scratch and made with love.”
Nest Burger Website >
