$1.59 burger joint is Kansas’ most ‘devotion-worthy’ destination, new survey says
One small business in Salina recently gained recognition for being the “devotion-worthy” small business in Kansas.
The business Advance Funds Network found after surveying more than 3,000 people, The Cozy Inn burger joint in Salina is the most popular small business in Kansas customers are willing to brave a longer drive to visit. It’s the kind of business “customers go out of their way for,” Advance Funds Network says.
“Beyond the list itself, there’s a story about taste, nostalgia, community, and the quirky corners that stick with us long after we’ve moved ZIP codes,” the April 11 survey says.
The Cozy Inn is located about an hour and half drive from Wichita in Salina, a small city with a population of more than 45,000. Dating back to 1922, the restaurant sells single cozy burgers for $1.59. You can order as many as 48 burgers for $76.32.
The restaurant’s website is full of customer stories about experiences with the small business.
One is from someone who used to work at the restaurant with its original founder and made 45 cents an hour. When he was stationed overseas in 1944, the former employee was sent a burger as a Christmas gift but it was moldy when he opened it. Still, he kept it with him for the comfort, the writer said. When his sergeant made him get rid of it, he said that it felt like losing an old friend.
The restaurant’s Yelp page is also full of good reviews.
“This was one of my favorite things to experience when I was in Salina, Kansas. What a cute little gem of a place and the staff was so nice when we arrived. They welcome us to have a seat at the counter. It was limited space with just five seats... Making it nice and ‘cozy’!,” an April 2024 Yelp review reads.
“Every time I am in Salina, I go by and get a bag of the little burgers. The people are always kind,” a January review reads.
The Cozy Inn’s hours are 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. The Eagle reached out to the restaurant for comment on the survey results, but has not received a response.
Carriage Crossing restaurant in Yoder was named the second business most worth the drive in Kansas. Yoder is very small, with a population of around 40 as of 2023.
