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Sneaky’s Burger Truck is now serving customers its 100% wagyu beef burgers and plant-based impossible burger patties at Recess Brewing in downtown Edwardsville.

Owners Tyler Ottwein and Casey Hinman are clients of the Illinois Small Business Development Center (SBDC) for the Metro East at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville and have benefitted from Director Jo Ann Di Maggio May’s business know-how and connections.

The owners described opening a business like stepping into a new world, “Jo Ann reassured us that we were doing the right thing and got us on the fast track to success.”

Di Maggio May put Ottwwin and Hinman in contact with business lawyers and certified public accountants and assisted in completing an exceptional business plan with a forward-thinking mindset. The SBDC connected the owners with CorkTree Creative, who completed a logo that is being used for branding across all platforms including the exterior of company’s new food truck.

Sneaky’s Burger joint has partnered with a local farm, raising full-blood wagyu cattle. The owners describe the ranch as a “small farm run by passion.”

“We are incredibly lucky to have Miller Wagyu Ranch accessible, and located here in Illinois,” Ottwein said.

Almost all other wagyu farms raise “American Wagyu”, which is cross-bred with American Angus, a much less marbled breed of cattle. It is estimated that there are fewer than 5,000 full-blood wagyu cattle in the nation.

The owners learned about kitchen and restaurant management through first-hand experiences over the last 25 years. Ottwein was a busboy and server in high school. He quickly transferred to the kitchen where he gained his passion for cooking. Six years ago, Ottwein started working full-time in the kitchen. Hinman is a veteran who began working with Ottwein after he left the Marines. The duo met each other almost a decade ago while working together at a beer restaurant in Nashville, Tenn. 

The business partners hit it off immediately. They have worked together in a variety of restaurants, always pushing each other to be better and experimenting with burgers. The quest to create the perfect burger has been arduous and sprinkled with moments of joy as well as disappointment. In the end, they found that a quarter-pound smashed Wagyu beef patty on a soft potato bun is the best way to enjoy a burger. Simple but luxurious. Rooted in tradition but innovative. Rugged but gorgeous.”

“Tyler and Casey have worked hard to make their dream a reality,” said Di Maggio May. “It has been a pleasure assisting and guiding them along the way. I am excited to see where the future takes them and their business, and I look forward to being a part of the journey.” 

For more information, visit Sneaky’s Burger Truck in person at Recess Brewing, 307 N Main St, Edwardsville. You may also contact Tyler Ottwein on Facebook @SneakysBurgerTruck or on Twitter and Instagram @SneakysBurgers and at tylerottwein@gmail.com or 615-714- 1401.   

The Illinois SBDC for the Metro East assists start-up ventures like Sneaky’s Burger Truck, as well as existing businesses headquartered in the nine-county region of Calhoun, Jersey, Madison, Bond, Clinton, St. Clair, Washington, Monroe, and Randolph. It is funded in part through a cooperative agreement with the U.S. Small Business Administration, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity, and SIUE as a service to Illinois small businesses.          

By aiding entrepreneurs and companies in defining their path to success, the SBDC network positively impacts the Metro East by strengthening the business community, creating, and retaining new jobs, and encouraging new investment. It enhances the region’s economic interests by providing one-stop assistance to individuals by means of counseling, training, research, and advocacy for new ventures and existing small businesses. When appropriate, the SBDC strives to affiliate its ties to the region to support the goals and objectives of both the SIUE School of Business and the University at large. 

To learn about the SBDC, contact the IL SBDC for the Metro East at SIUE at 618-650-2929.  

Photo: Sneaky’s Burger Truck.