The Dankery Owner Ian Burris Embodies The Essence Of A Businessman

Durham, NC – Ian Burris is a true businessman. He started The Dankery, one of the most popular food trucks in Durham, from his parent’s garage, and has since grown it to be a hotspot location for many people in Durham and the surrounding areas. Born and raised in Durham, Burris has always strived to excel in his ventures and continues to grow his portfolio of businesses.

A graduate of Hillside High School, Burris attended Shaw University for a single semester pursuing a career in football. However, he left and began attending Cape Fear Community College. He returned to Durham shortly after and began cleaning out his parent’s garage. By this time, The Dankery had already been up and running for a few months. “We started in Wilmington for a few months and then I returned to Durham. I cleaned out my parents’ garage and started it up in there. I moved the fridge from the home to the garage and bought a new fridge for the house,” he said while talking about the origins of his latest business venture.

His business side had come up to the surface well before this, having owned and operated a shoe business and a clothing business in the past. Even today, after the major success of his food truck, he looks to the future with hopes of opening more businesses. “I want to branch out to other businesses. I’ve always happened to be a businessman and have some other ideas.” Burris is a true example of hard work and perseverance.

Inspired by the Food Truck Rodeo craze in 2010, he decided that he wanted to dip his feet in the food truck business, and thus The Dankery was born. “I always wanted to do The Dankery, opening up a food truck since the jump. The food truck that inspired me was Only Burger in 2010.” He has carried this inspiration and converted it into one of the best and most visited food trucks in the Triangle Area.

Even during the COVID-19 pandemic, his business has managed to grow, with sales numbers ever increasing. For this, he thanked the community that supported him, “I think the community has supported the business through the ups and downs and it means a lot to have something that people from Durham and the surrounding areas enjoy.” However, it has been anything but easy. COVID has affected nearly every food business out there and it has hit The Dankery. He had to face staffing issues with the difficulty of finding people to come out and work as well as ensure the safety of his customers.

Despite all this, The Dankery has remained successful and this goes to show the determination that Ian Burris holds. He understands what it takes to run a business and is prepared to give it his all to ensure that the business succeeds through all obstacles it faces.

From his parent’s garage to the hopes of starting even more locations around North Carolina in the future, Ian Burris is a proud owner and a great businessman. He was able to take a tried and tested business concept and create something that captivated the entire community. “Hopefully, we can have a couple more locations throughout NC, some in Durham and Raleigh, and maybe even Greensboro.” Yet, his sight is firmly set into expanding not only the Dankery but his own goal of opening more businesses. With the business smarts he possesses, teamed with his raw determination and hard work, there is no business he could not make successful and the community will be looking forward to the opening of his next venture.

The Dankery is currently located at 704 Rigsbee Ave. in downtown Durham and is open from 5 pm to midnight Wednesday – Sunday.

Feature photo credit: Lawrence Davis