We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Zach Jasperson a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Zach, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a risk you’ve taken – walk us through the story?

I was a police officer for about 10 years and spent a majority of that time working weekend nights around the busiest nightclubs in the country while also being on my departments SWAT team, so risk is something I became inherently use to. In December of 2023, I made the decision to leave the police department. This was a choice that came with it’s own risks because I would no longer be a government employee with stable pay and benefits. About a year later, after some persuasion and motivation from one of my old teammates, I decided to purchase a food truck. I spent about 4 months with him repairing it, rebranding it, and making it road worthy. Burgers by Board Bar was born and is on its way back to that same area I worked in as a cop for so many years.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I grew up in a small town in Montana. Most of the year it was too cold to go outside to play so we stayed inside and growing up, that time was mostly spent in the kitchens of my families homes. Whether that was doing homework after school or big holiday parties, I always found myself in the kitchen. I think this is what drew me to pursue cooking as such a passionate hobby once I got older.

In high school, I worked at a small barbecue restaurant as a cashier and line cook. We had a small trailer that was used for special events and the annual state fair. I attended ASU and got my bachelors degree in justice studies and communication. I realized soon after that I needed a real job and couldn’t work security in the nightclubs along Mill avenue anymore. I figured I’d try and become a cop on the basis that it just seemed like something I would be good at.

I was hired by the Scottsdale police department in 2013 and graduated the academy in March of 2014. I spent the next 10 years working patrol, a member of the SWAT team, and a majority of my career on the bike unit which primarily works in the Old Town entertainment district. During this time, I began to hone in my passion and skills related to cooking and found that it was a therapeutic process for me to combat the stresses of what every cop goes through on a daily basis.

By the end of my career I had been diagnosed with traumatic brain injury, depression, anxiety, and frontal lobe cognitive deficit and had a surgery in the last months of the job to repair a broken 5th metacarpal. in my hand also known as a boxers fracture. I turned to cooking throughout all of these times to help my mind and repair my mental health.

Fast forward to the fall of 2024, my best friend is hounding me to open a food truck in the bar district to bring something new and different to the area. I decided why not? I’d rather try and fail than not try at all. So the search began for a truck and coincidently, the owners of Dilla Libre, a local taco spot that I’ve been to a handful of times as a cop, was selling their old truck. I went to look at it and everything just clicked and Burgers by Board Bar was created. I chose burgers because the creative possibilities are endless and there’s nothing better to snack on after a handful of cold beers in my opinion. I also took inspiration from a restaurant owner and world renowned burger historian George Motz. I felt that the American hamburger is beginning to lose its luster. I want to be the next generation of George Motz’s to be the ones to bring it back and to pay tribute to the endless amounts of burger recipes from around the United States.

I have my wife Mimi, my family and my best friend Christian to thank for me starting down this road. Without them, it would still just be an idea and a dream.

How did you build your audience on social media?

Social media is the billboards and tv commercials of the modern age in my opinion. The more that is posted and shared, the greater your reach will be. I’ve found the greatest success on Instagram because it allows me to post photos and videos of the food I cook. I’ve had numerous customers approach me and tell me about a certain post that they enjoyed or seeing a photo of a burger I made and asked when that will be on the menu. This kind of content I think helps to gain repeat customers because they know that next time they come to my truck, I’ll have something new and different on the menu for them to try.

Have you ever had to pivot?

In December of 2023, I made the decision to quit my job as a police officer. I had done that for about 10 years right after I got out of college. I left for a multitude of reasons. I started down another career path in commercial equipment financing, which I still do to this day. The worlds could not have been more opposite for me to experience. Even after being out of the PD for over a year now, I still face mental struggles with the transition out of that career into what I call everyday society. The important thing for those in situations similar to mine to remember is to not get discouraged. Embrace the change and accept it, but don’t ever forget your past and cherish the memories. Also, take pictures with your friends, you never know if you’ll be able to again.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.boardbaraz.com
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/burgersbyboardbar/

Image Credits

Toovisuals LLC (Toomas Werdi)