Grumpy's Burgers to reopen for one-time, encore tasteful performance this weekend

By Gus Thomson,Journal Staff WriterSilenced suddenly early this month, the sizzle of burgers on the grill of a landmark Highway 49 eatery will be back for one nostalgia-filled day.Auburn?s Grumpy?s Burgers will reopen Saturday to give customers a final opportunity to chow down on a unique Grumpy Burger, replete with onion, pickle, tomato and special sauce.It?s the special sauce ? prepared from a number of secret ingredients in the Grumpy?s kitchen ? that kept people coming back, said owner Josie Sanchez. The tacos and the crushed ice in the drinks were other big attractions, she added.When Sanchez and husband Rocky closed the business July 31, many of Grumpy?s most loyal customers found the news hard to digest. Since then, they estimate that 50 of Grumpy?s faithful have telephoned them, many asking for just one more chance to enjoy the special taste of a Grumpy?s burger.As a result, the eatery at 1160 Grass Valley Highway will open its doors at 10 a.m. Saturday. Sanchez said the plan is to close the restaurant a final time at 7 p.m. but it could stay open further into the evening if there?s still a demand.Sanchez has owned Grumpy?s since the mid-1980s, after her sister Susie Mercado asked her to come in as a partner.Mercado bought it from original owners Bud and Kathy Hodges. When they opened the unprepossessing brick and shingle-trimmed burger place in 1970, the Hodges checked out the competition to ensure they would be selling the biggest burgers in town, and then inexplicably named the restaurant Tiny?s. The name change came a few months later and Grumpy?s it has remained since then.Sanchez said she has invited Susie Mercado, brother Bert Mercado and sisters Marian Mercado and Pam Van Ronk back to help out on Grumpy?s last day. All are former employees. Another popular employee, Jason Milan, and former Managers Lauren Kile and Katy Gomes could also make appearances, she said.Through the years, Grumpy has hosted car washes, sponsored local youth sport teams, held a car show and cooked up hundreds of thousands of meals for hungry diners seeking a unique burger. Izzy?s Burger Spa and Ikeda?s Tasty Burger, both located at the Foresthill exit?s ?Hamburger Hill,? are the two remaining local, independent burger establishments.Word has it that the Grumpy?s property is destined to become a car sales lot, said Rocky Sanchez, a Realtor with Lyon & Associates.For Josie Sanchez, Saturday will be emotional. She?s looking forward to spending more time raising the couple?s 7-year-old and helping her husband in the real estate business.?I?m probably going to be crying my eyes out,? she said. ?I?ve grown to know so many loyal customers.?