“In evaluating our area, I found we have a couple of really good pizza options and a couple of really good sub shops,” Scott said. “When I would go back to the city, I would always go to a burger place and then I thought what we could use is a good, crafted burger place.”

Scott moved to the Iron River area eight years ago from St. Paul, Minn., where he was food director for the St. Paul campuses of Catholic Charities.

At Catholic Charities, Scott was responsible for serving up to 300 people in shelters four times a day. With a limited budget and donated goods, he learned to be creative with what he prepared.

But Scott frequently thought about moving out of the city, perhaps to Wisconsin. Then a two-week job as set chef for a movie being filmed in Ironwood introduced him to the Upper Peninsula and he fell in love with the region.

BUMP'S BURGERS is at 119 W. Genessee St. in Iron River. (Jim Paul/Daily News photo)

Bump’s Burgers is named after Scott’s father, Bruce “Bump” Scott, who passed away in 2020, about the time Scott was purchasing the former Dabeck’s Eatery & Catering at 119 W. Genessee St. Scott said he had hoped to convince his father to make the move to Iron River as well.

“My father was always the guy that when we would go out to eat he would always get the basics — he would get the burger,” Scott said.

A motorcycle that Bump loved is on display as customers enter.

Scott initially was only going to purchase some of the building’s kitchen equipment to start a catering business but eventually convinced himself to buy the whole place.

He spent nearly two years remodeling and getting Bump’s Burgers ready to open. If a near-total remodel was not enough, Scott closed Bump’s Burgers in January and February to do even more work, creating a new dish room and adding more seating.

“There was branding involved and a certain motif that I wanted, a certain look. It has been a labor of love,” Scott said. “I wanted to change it up from what it had been known from before.”

Scott takes a different approach than most other restaurants on Bump’s Burger’s days and hours of operation, as he only opens in the evenings and mainly on the weekends. It is difficult as a small business to make up for three slow days with one good day, he explained, plus he wanted to provide an option for those who work later.

“We have a lot of people here working multiple jobs or second shifts. They get off at 8 or 9 p.m., the restaurants and even the grocery stores are closed,” Scott said.

Scott describes the food at Bump’s Burgers as home-style, American cuisine that is affordable, portable and approachable. Scott emphasizes that everything is chef-driven and designed by him, with no menu item added without careful testing and tweaking.

Scott focuses on making food from scratch, avoiding pre-made items, and creating unique dishes.

Obviously, burgers are the big seller at Bump’s Burgers. Scott said he takes a sub shop-like approach to his burgers, making them highly customizable. Customers can get double or even triple meat, bacon or even eggs on their burger and perhaps top it off with several sauces made in-house, such as garlic mayo, spicy mayo, six pepper or barbecue.

Scott said a close second in sales is the pulled pork sandwich, made with his own seasoning called the “butt rub,” then cooked with barbecue sauce and pulled “really loose.”

For spicy food lovers, Scott has the Big I Sausage sandwich — a spicy Italian sausage patty with cheese sauce, red pepper flakes and a side of fried peppers.

Other popular sandwiches include the chopped beef and the smashed grilled cheese, made as a children’s option but just as popular with the adults. There is even a vegan sandwich, the Mexican black bean and corn burger.

Fish for Lent includes a tuna melt, crab cake sandwich and clam chowder.

At Bump’s Burgers the side dishes are as special as the sandwiches. The restaurant doesn’t have a fryer, as it couldn’t be worked into the kitchen design, so Scott again had to get creative.

Grandma’s Casserole is a spin on the tater tot casserole his grandmother, Helen Scott, used to make him. Firecracker corn and baked beans are recipes Scott has made since his Catholic Charities days, along with his jambalaya.

Bump’s Burgers has a different style of chili as well, made with pulled pork, pork belly and bacon crumbles instead of beef.

Scott said he also believes in giving back to the public. He provides his services for local fundraisers. He prepared a free Thanksgiving meal for the past two years and this year partnered with the First Baptist Church to serve a Christmas dinner. Between the two, more than 900 people received free holiday meals.

“My skill set is food, so that is where I get to help out,” Scott said. “I like to be a part of my community, I like living here in a small town, so I try to help as much as I can.”

Bump’s Burgers is now open 4 p.m. to midnight Fridays and Saturdays, with new hours to be announced in April. For more information, go to Bump’s Burger’s Facebook page or call 906-284-7608.