By Mary Colurso | mcolurso@al.com
Free Burger Monday. It’s not an official holiday, but folks in Alabama can celebrate all the same.
On a Bun, a Birmingham burger joint owned by Denise and Crystal Peterson, is giving away 200 free meals on Feb. 16 at the downtown restaurant, 2328 Second Ave. North.
The mother-daughter duo aims to fill some bellies in their community, provide cheer on Presidents Day and spread the word about their newest eatery.
“Last year was hard financially for a lot of people,” Crystal Peterson says. “We want to introduce (our new brand) to people, but we also want to show them a little love. And we want to do it presidentially. Schools are going to be out on Monday, banks are going to be closed. So this might be the only meal that some people have.”
The Petersons earned many fans with their first restaurant, Yo’ Mama’s, which moved in January 2025 from the Second Avenue space to a bigger location a few blocks away.
Yo’ Mama’s, founded in 2014, continues to please customers in its new home at 2024 Fourth Ave. North, offering much-loved dishes such as chicken and waffles. The Petersons’ second restaurant, On a Bun, opened in summer 2025 and continues to build a clientele.
On Monday, the Petersons will be focused on burgers, paired with bags of chips and bottles of water. The meals will be bagged, Crystal says, and offered to anyone who shows up at On a Bun between 5-8 p.m. The only requirement for diners is to be present at the restaurant — the limit is one meal per person — and it’s first-come, first-served until all 200 meals are gone.
“It’s just our way to introduce ourselves to the community,” Peterson says. “Everybody knows Yo’ Mama’s in the community. We’re opening a new brand. We’ve been open for about six months, so we kind of want to get our foot stamped into the community over there again.”
As a bonus, On a Bun will donate 100 more meals on Monday to a Birmingham organization, Margins: Women Helping Black Women, to help feed homeless people in the city.
“We care about the locals, and we are locals,” Peterson says.
On a Bun is typically closed on Mondays, but will open its doors for three hours for the giveaway event. The restaurant seats 36 people, so Peterson expects that most meals will be grab-and-go.
Details matter at On a Bun; Peterson adds that people can choose a burger or cheeseburger at the giveaway. American cheese will be used for cheeseburgers, she says, and condiments like ketchup, mayonnaise and mustard will be available. Gluten-free buns will be available on request.
The restaurant’s usual hours are Tuesdays through Saturdays, 5-9 p.m. The full menu features burgers (beef or turkey) with various toppings on brioche buns, fried chicken sandwiches, catfish sandwiches, pork chop sandwiches, sides and desserts.
