Nestled on North Frances Street just a couple of blocks from the Capitol is one of Madison’s hottest new restaurants. A smiling avocado and cool chili pepper decorate the door of Comfort Fuel (439 N. Frances St.), which opened in November. Walk in, and you’ll find a sleek interior with green accents, wood furniture and a neon sign that reads, “Eat good, feel good.”
You’ll also likely find economics alum Doug Hamaker (’10) standing behind the counter.
“I try to be there almost every day, including weekends,” Hamaker says. “We’re still new, and we’re really trying to grow the brand and make a name for ourselves.”
He dreamed up this restaurant along with chef and minority partner David Spittel. The menu has a little something for everyone with wraps, acai bowls, salads, sandwiches and all-day breakfast on the list of offerings.
“Comfort Fuel is trying to blend the mix of health and comfort,” Hamaker says. “Eating healthy is awesome, but every once in a while, you want some bread or cheese. So, we’re morphing those options for people.”
This concept has proven to be a winning one — especially with Madison athletes. Comfort Fuel recently joined the Red Card Athletics program and within a month became the number-one spending destination.
“They came down to the restaurant and said, ‘This is crazy — you’re beating the grocery store,’” Hamaker says. “We could feel the momentum, and that was a really big turning point.”
And this is hardly Hamaker’s first rodeo. He’s been working in Madison’s restaurant scene for 13 years. Shortly after graduating, he and fellow economics alum Henry Aschauer (’10) co-founded the now-closed Roast Public House, a sit-down spot that served sandwiches and craft beer on the campus side of State Street. In 2015, the duo then went on to launch Forage Kitchen, which now sports eight locations and a kombucha line.
Hamaker stepped away from Forage in 2021 to take time away from the day-to-day grind of the restaurant industry. He had just become a new father — child number two is due this August — and wanted to spend more time at home.
“It was the most relaxing time, and my daughter was new, so I got to spend a lot of time with her, which was amazing,” Hamaker says. “But then it started to hit me that leaving left a big hole in my life … and I started dreaming up a new restaurant.”
That restaurant actually wasn’t Comfort Fuel, it was for a spot he planned to call Troo Eats. He spent nine months flushing out the business plans and even found a space to rent on State Street. An electrical issue in the building derailed the plans, leaving him back at square one.
He found a new space to rent, but the location wasn’t ideal for Troo Eats’ menu, so he needed a new idea. That’s when he started brainstorming with Spittel, who was one of the chefs at Roast Public House and had been consulting with him for Troo Eats. Spittel had the idea for a restaurant called Comfort Fuel, and together they were able to bring that idea to reality.
“What really gets me going and makes me happy is when people realize the hard work we put in,” Hamaker says. “I really do want to expand into Troo Eats, but for now the goal for this restaurant is great reviews and to be known for our service and quality day in and day out.”
Hamaker bikes to work most days, and that’s when he does most of his thinking about the future of Comfort Fuel, Troo Eats and the other businesses he’s building.
“I kind of envision my future as having three really good, thoughtful restaurants,” Hamaker says. “And then maybe a product line,” he added with an entrepreneurial grin. He’s already workshopping an idea to launch a beverage line in the near future.