Pierce County burger joint closing, business announces with ‘heavy heart’
Key Peninsula burger joint Wauna Burger announced April 27 that its last day will be May 9, after three years of business just off of state Route 302.
In a brief post to their Facebook page, the business said the decision was related to their lease.
“It is with a heavy heart, that we have to close our doors, due to our lease not being renewed,” the post said. “We are actively looking for another location, but at this time we will no longer be serving the Key Peninsula. Our last day open will be May 9th, thank you all for the support you’ve given us over the last 3 years, it’s been a pleasure. We hope to be back in business.”
Wauna Burger is at 11717 state Route 302 Northwest and serves up a variety of burgers, subs, sandwiches, salads, fries and other sides, according to their menu on Facebook.
A reporter called Wauna Burger April 28 but learned the person who answered the phone was in the middle of serving orders and couldn’t talk about the situation at that time. The business responded via email April 29 and indicated that their replies could be attributed to brothers Derek English and Christopher English, the owners and operators of the restaurant.
The News Tribune asked about the business’s search for a new location and if Wauna Burger would consider spaces like the Calahan property in Key Center or the Lake Kathryn Village shopping center.
“We are exploring new locations in addition to the more immediate concerns of closing down, moving out, storing equipment, and finding work to pay for the debt that used to be taken care of by our successful business,” the brothers wrote. “Key Center is one place we are looking, but not Lake Kathryn. We are also looking for possibilities in Port Orchard.”
Their post generated over 200 reactions and over 100 comments, as many residents lamented the loss of the local burger restaurant. Some questioned the terms of the lease agreement and wondered whether the property owner had increased the rent.
Laura Scheel, the property owner, said in a phone call April 28 that she had not increased the rent on the property.
“Rent was never an issue,” she said.
She said Wauna Burger had expressed interest in expanding into the adjacent space vacated by Wauna Liquor, a business which Scheel owns. The liquor store relocated to the Lake Kathryn Village shopping center last year, according to the store’s Facebook page. Scheel said she offered to rent the vacant space to the burger joint but that they were unable to come to an agreement about tenant improvements to the space and who would pay for them.
Scheel said that she didn’t want the business to leave, but felt she had no choice because of the disagreement. Wauna Burger’s lease expires May 15, she told The News Tribune.
Derek and Christopher English alleged in an email to The News Tribune that they had various disputes with the landlord over the lease.
“The negotiations on a new lease fell through,” they wrote. “ ... Now that all is said and done we are sorry that it didn’t work out, and apologize if we let anyone down.”
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comments from the Wauna Burger owners and the property owner.
This story was originally published April 28, 2026 at 3:32 PM.
