An Old North End landmark corner store with a Food Network-anointed burger called the Sizzler changed hands on May 14. Manager Max Patel, 25, confirmed that his brothers, Yogeshkumar and Jigar, bought the Shopping Bag from brothers Josh Clayton and Howard Moody. Max declined to share the price paid.
Don Clayton, Josh and Howard’s father, opened the store on the corner of Burlington’s North and Lafountain streets with his father-in-law, John Vincent, in 1974. Don’s brother Gary Clayton told Seven Days in December 2023 that he believes the grill was added about a decade later. The Shopping Bag’s loaded half-pound burger was originally called the Scibek Sizzler after a local beat cop. It had become a local favorite before being named the state’s best burger in 2009 by Food Network Magazine.
Longtime employee Doug Olsaver, who started working at the Shopping Bag in 1991, when he was 15, was flipping Sizzlers on the grill on Wednesday afternoon. He said nothing has changed substantially since the new owners took over and he anticipates continuing to work there.
The Patels have replaced the grocery shelving, the display shelves behind the checkout counter and the counter itself. Max said he hopes to upgrade the worn flooring soon, too. Other than that, he said, they plan to keep things the same.
Max said his brothers own several convenience stores in New Hampshire and Vermont but he was not sure of the names and locations. The family hails originally from the Indian state of Gujarat, where their surname is very common. The Vermont Secretary of State business registry database lists Yogeshkumar and Jigar Patel as principals of a Swanton gas station and convenience store. They have also registered as principals of a not-yet-opened store in Lyndonville.
When asked why his brothers decided to buy the Shopping Bag, Max said, “We like this store. We like the people here.”
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This article appears in The Summer Preview 2025.
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