What Milos Hamburgers does

Milo's Hamburgers (legal entity Milo's Restaurant Holdings, LLC; headquartered at 100 Centerview Drive, Suite 256, Vestavia Hills, Alabama) is a privately held regional fast-casual burger chain founded in 1946 by Milo Carlton, a former U.S. Army mess cook, in North Birmingham. As of 2025 the chain operates 24 corporate-owned restaurants across Alabama — concentrated in the Birmingham metro with secondary presence in Tuscaloosa, Montgomery, Cullman, Decatur, Jasper, Prattville, Fairfield, and Alabaster — and employs 501-1,000 people. Milo's has not franchised in the current ownership era; it operates no franchising program.

Milo's core product is its signature Original Burger (fresh beef patty, onion, pickle, secret sauce) on a grilled bun, sold alongside hand-breaded overnight-marinated chicken tenders and sandwiches, crinkle-cut fries seasoned with proprietary orange salt, fried hand pies, milkshakes, and house-brewed sweet tea. Three proprietary formulas are treated as trade secrets (sauce, sweet tea, seasoned fry salt); the sauce is produced in 250-gallon batches of approximately six hours each, totaling over 3,000 gallons per month. A second line of 'thick-style' burgers was introduced in 2016 as the first major menu category addition in roughly 50 years.

Revenue is generated primarily through in-restaurant dine-in and drive-thru sales at 24 physical locations, with complementary streams from mobile app and website ordering (iOS/Android app launched 2018), DoorDash delivery at select locations, a new catering service launched in 2024 with a $100 minimum order, and D2C sales of bottled sauces and fry salt via shop.miloshamburgers.com. The Milo's Rewards loyalty program accrues 10 points per dollar and drives repeat visits. The chain monetizes community ties through Spirit Nights (10-15% of net sales donated to hosting schools/nonprofits Mon-Tue 5-7 p.m.), the Milo's Civics voter-education program, and the LSE Foundation, which all extend brand equity. Current owner-operator Tom Dekle (a CPA by training) has led Milo's since acquiring the business with local investors in 2011.

Name

Milos Hamburgers

Legal name

Milo's Restaurant Holdings, LLC

Website

https://miloshamburgers.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1946

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Milo's Hamburgers is a privately held, Alabama-only fast-casual chain operating 24 corporate restaurants serving made-to-order burgers, hand-breaded chicken tenders, crinkle-cut seasoned fries, sweet tea, and catering to consumers, schools, and office buyers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fast Food Restaurants

NAICS

Limited-Service Restaurants (722513), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251), Caterers (722320)

SIC

Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810), Retail-Eating Places (5812)

akta.pro primary industry

Burger Fast Casual (THAFABAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Burger QSR (THAFAAAA)

Keywords

• Fast food burgers
• Chicken tenders
• Regional restaurant chain
• Crinkle cut fries
• Sweet tea

Headquarters

HQ city

Vestavia Hills

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. In-restaurant dine-in and drive-thru sales: Primary revenue stream from walk-in customers ordering at restaurant counters. Milo’s operates 24 physical restaurant locations across Alabama with dine-in, drive-thru, and on-site ordering. Average Friday sales across 21 stores (plus food truck) total approximately 10,000 burgers.
2. Catering orders: Catering introduced in 2024 allows office lunches, cookouts, and events to order Milo’s food. Offerings include boxed lunches, sandwich bars, chicken trays, and beverage gallons. Minimum order $100; orders over $500 require 48-hour notice. Catering orders can be placed via app, website, or direct form/phone.
3. Online and mobile ordering: Customers order via the Milo’s mobile app (iOS and Android) or the company website for pickup at locations. DoorDash delivery is available at some locations. Loyalty points are earned on in-app and online orders (10 points per dollar).
4. Bottled sauces, fry salt, and merchandise: Milo’s sells bottled sauces (original Milo’s Sauce, Double-O, Honey Mustard) and proprietary fry seasoning online and at restaurant locations. Merchandise including gift cards and branded items are sold through the Swag Shop (shop.miloshamburgers.com). Bottled sauce sales have been linked to charity donations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels12 records

Core offering

Milo's Hamburgers operates a regional fast-casual restaurant chain selling made-to-order burgers topped with a proprietary secret sauce, alongside chicken tenders and sandwiches, crinkle-cut seasoned fries, sweet tea, fried hand pies, and milkshakes. The chain runs approximately 24 company-owned locations across Alabama offering dine-in, drive-thru, and takeout, with mobile/app ordering, a points-based loyalty program (Milo's Rewards), catering service for events, and online retail of bottled sauces and seasonings.

Product overview

Milo's Hamburgers is a regional Alabama burger chain operating approximately 24 locations throughout the state. The product portfolio centers on signature hamburgers featuring a proprietary secret sauce formula, complemented by thick-style burgers, hand-breaded chicken tenders and sandwiches, crinkle-cut seasoned fries, loaded fries, fried hand pies, milkshakes, and famous sweet tea. The company offers a mobile app with integrated loyalty rewards program enabling advance ordering and points-based redemptions. Additional offerings include catering services, bottled sauce and seasoning products available for retail purchase, and a food truck (Burger Bus) for events. The menu philosophy emphasizes consistency and quality with a limited but focused selection, having expanded only four times since 1946 (fried pies in 1995, chicken in 2000, additional sauces in 2013, and thick-style burgers in 2016).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Milo's Original Burgers Signature burgers with a fresh grilled patty topped with onions, pickles, and proprietary Milo's sauce on a grilled bun, offered in single, cheeseburger, double, and double cheeseburger options with optional bacon.
• Thick-Style Burgers Home-style burgers with thicker patties and traditional toppings including lettuce, tomato, pickles, onions, ketchup, and mayo, available as Traditional Cheeseburger, Bacon Cheeseburger, and Double Thick Cheeseburger.
• Chicken Tenders Hand-breaded all-white chicken tenders marinated overnight, served crispy fried or grilled with choice of five signature sauces including Milo's sauce, honey mustard, ranch, Boom Boom, and Double-O.
• Chicken Tender Sandwiches All-white chicken tenders marinated overnight and hand-breaded, served on a grilled bun with signature Double-O or Boom Boom sauce in Crispy, Spicy, and Grilled varieties.
• Classic Crinkle Cut Fries Crispy crinkle-cut fries fried in 100% canola oil and dusted with Milo's signature orange seasoned salt, designed with high surface area for maximum seasoning retention.
• Loaded Fries Classic crinkle-cut fries loaded with toppings including Saucy Fries (ground beef, grilled onions, Milo's sauce, and queso) and Mexi Fries (bacon, jalapeños, and queso).
• Milo's Signature Sauces Five signature sauces: Milo's Sauce (smoky, sweet, savory secret formula), Honey Mustard, Ranch, Boom Boom (spicy), and Double-O (Milo's sauce mixed with ranch).
• Sweet Tea Signature sweet tea brewed in-house from a three-ingredient secret recipe, also available in unsweet and Splenda varieties, sold by the gallon for catering.
• Fried Hand Pies Fried pastries with crispy crust and various fillings, available in Apple, Peach, and Lemon varieties, heavily dusted with powdered sugar.
• Milkshakes Hand-spun thick milkshakes available in Vanilla, Chocolate, Strawberry, and Cookies 'N Cream flavors.
• Mini Meals Scaled-down versions of regular menu items for children, including kids burger, toasted cheese, crispy or grilled tender combos with mini fries and a small drink.
• Milo's Rewards Loyalty Program Mobile-based loyalty program where members earn 10 points per dollar spent, redeemable for free menu items, with surprise bonus offers accessible across app, online, and in-store ordering.
• Catering Service Catering for office lunches, cookouts, and events offering chicken trays, individually packaged boxed meals, build-your-own sandwich bars, and beverage options including tea and lemonade. $100 minimum order, 48-hour notice for orders over $500.
• Milo's Mobile App Mobile ordering application for iOS and Android enabling advance ordering, loyalty points accumulation, quick reorder functionality, and exclusive app-only promotions.
• Bottled Sauces and Fry Seasoning Retail bottled versions of Milo's Sauce, Double-O sauce, Honey Mustard, and the proprietary orange fry seasoning salt, sold online and at restaurants for at-home use.

Quantifiable outcome

• 50,000 burgers sold on a single day (75th anniversary promotion, April 2021)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and moderate.

• Seasick RecordsminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 2 April 2025Milo’s collaborated with Birmingham-based Seasick Records for a limited 7-inch vinyl release of the “Everybody Goes to Milo’s” jingle in honor of Record Store Day 2025. 400 copies were produced on “Milo’s Sauce Brown” vinyl at $12 each. The record includes the original jingle plus cover versions by Alabama artists. Milo’s was onsite grilling burgers at the event. Proceeds benefited Firehouse Community Arts Center.
• Firehouse Community Arts CenterminorOthers · 2 April 2025The Firehouse Community Arts Center was the beneficiary of the Record Store Day 2025 vinyl release proceeds. It is a creative learning space in Birmingham’s Forest Park-South Avondale neighborhood offering music education programs and scholarships for musically-underserved students. FCAC students are featured on the vinyl record.
• Better BasicscoreOthers · 15 November 2021Milo’s partnered with Better Basics (a Birmingham nonprofit whose mission is to eradicate poverty and increase literacy rates among Birmingham’s youth) for its bottled sauce sales campaign. For every 16-ounce bottle of Milo’s Sauce sold at $5, $2 was donated to Better Basics. In the 2021 holiday campaign, approximately 12,000-13,000 bottles were sold, generating $25,000 in donations.
• Nourish FoodsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 15 November 2021Milo’s partnered with Birmingham-based Nourish Foods (a food delivery company) to enable shipping of bottled Milo’s sauces nationally. Each shipping box included recipes incorporating the famous sauce.
• Alabama Peanut CompanyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 November 2021Milo’s partnered with Birmingham-based Alabama Peanut Company (operated by Jaime Thursby) to create boiled peanuts made with Milo’s Sauce. The limited-time product was available for pre-order and at The Market at Pepper Place. Like Milo’s burgers, the peanuts were served with pickles and onions. This collaboration between two Birmingham institutions with nearly 190 years of combined history was designed to replicate the burger experience in boiled peanut form.
• Alabama hospitals and frontline workers (Alabama Strong initiative)coreOthers · 1 April 2020During the COVID-19 pandemic, Milo’s launched the Alabama Strong initiative in partnership with local hospitals, donating approximately 4,000 meals to children missing school lunches and 6,000 meals to hospital workers on the front lines. This was combined with the first-ever bottled sauce campaign (6,500 bottles sold in one week, $13,000 donated). Milo’s Tea Company separately donated 50,000 servings of tea and lemonade to healthcare workers.
• Milo’s Tea Company (Carlton family)moderateOthers · 1 January 2011Milo’s Tea Company is separately owned by the Carlton family (headed by Tricia Wallwork, granddaughter of Milo and Bea Carlton) but shares heritage and logo with Milo’s Hamburgers. Milo’s Tea Company sells the famous sweet tea (now #1 refrigerated tea in the US) nationwide. The two brands maintain a favorable relationship and work to stay in sync. Technically there is no formal association, but brand synergy benefits both businesses.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Shake Shack: Public fast-casual chain (NYSE: SHAK) with ~500 locations and a strong brand. Comparable in fast-casual positioning, cult burger following, and crinkle-cut fries; Shake Shack has expanded Milo's-like brand extensions (retail sauces, branded merchandise) at national scale.
• Five Guys: National fast-casual burger chain with 1,700+ locations globally. Comparable menu (customizable burgers, hand-cut fries) and direct competition for Milo's lunch/dinner occasions, with substantially greater scale, supply chain leverage, and marketing budget.

Regional players

• Fatburger: LA-born regional burger chain now owned by FAT Brands, with locations concentrated in the Western U.S. and parts of the South. Comparable cook-to-order burger concept and regional positioning, though limited direct Alabama presence.

Direct peers

• Cook Out: Southeast U.S. regional fast-food chain (North Carolina-based) operating 300+ locations across the South, with a similar low-price, made-to-order menu including burgers, fries, and shakes. Direct geographic and category overlap in Alabama and the broader Southeast.
• Culver's: Midwest-based fast-casual chain (~900+ locations) known for ButterBurgers, frozen custard, and crinkle-cut fries. Closely comparable in menu mix (burgers, crinkle fries, frozen desserts, chicken) and regional cult positioning, with a much larger footprint via franchising.
• Jack's Family Restaurants: Alabama-founded regional fast-food chain operating ~200 locations across the Southeast, with a similar burger-and-sides menu and strong regional brand loyalty. Direct overlap in geography and category, often cited alongside Milo's as Alabama's iconic burger chains.
• In-N-Out Burger: West Coast regional cult burger chain with a famously limited menu, secret menu, and proprietary preparation methods. Most directly comparable in 'cult regional chain with secret recipes and a loyal fan base' positioning, which Milo's data explicitly compares itself to.
• Krystal: Small-format Southern burger chain known for steamed square burgers; operates ~200+ locations primarily in the Southeast. Comparable in regional burger QSR positioning, Southern heritage, and small-store footprint, though with a different core product.
• Whataburger: Iconic Texas-based regional burger chain with a cult following, ~700+ locations concentrated in the South. Comparable cult brand positioning, made-to-order burgers, and proprietary condiments; both chains serve as regional alternatives to national burger QSRs.

Others

• Milo's Tea Company: Separately owned by the Carlton family, this is the #1 refrigerated tea brand in America, spun off from the same Milo Carlton heritage. Not a direct competitor but a strong brand-extension and awareness comp that shares brand DNA and product (sweet tea) with Milo's Hamburgers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/milosburgershop
• Facebookfacebook.com/MilosOriginalBurgerShop
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/milo-s-hamburgers
• Instagraminstagram.com/milosburgershop
• TikToktiktok.com/@milosburgershop

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Milos Hamburgers