Every day, customers line up for burgers at Woody's Burger Shack, many unaware that the woman behind the grill once owned garment factories on the other side of the world. For Thakshila "Tasha" Weerakkody, the journey from Sri Lanka to Fallon wasn't planned—it was built one opportunity at a time.
Today, the naturalized American citizen owns one of Fallon's most beloved restaurants.
Her journey is a testament to how hard work, determination, and the support of a welcoming community can turn opportunity into success.
Long before she came to the United States, Tasha's entrepreneurial spirit was already taking shape. As the eldest daughter in a conservative Sri Lankan family, family responsibilities kept her from attending college despite earning excellent grades. Instead, her father, philosophical author Wijeratne Weerakkody, opened a small café for her when she was just 18 years old.
Called Little Lion, the café employed only two people, but Tasha was responsible for running the business.
"I was the boss," she said, "but we were a team."
That philosophy has never changed. Whether managing a restaurant or owning one, she believes a leader should work harder than anyone else on staff.
At 21, Tasha married and raised three children. Together with her first husband, she built a thriving clothing business that expanded to three factories and a large retail store. The company, which still employs nearly 1,500 people, produces garments for American retailers, including Kohl's.
Life took an unexpected turn following her divorce in 2013. While visiting relatives in the U.S., she stayed with her aunt in Reno in 2018 and accompanied her aunt to work at a mall shop. There she met Don May, who quietly persisted until she agreed to a date.
The relationship moved quickly, but before accepting Don's marriage proposal, Tasha had one important condition: she wanted to meet his children and receive their blessing. A family gathering convinced her she had found not only a husband but a family.
"It was the first American family I met," she said. "They're so good. I thought, 'I'm so blessed to have them in my life.'"
The couple married on July 29, 2018, and Tasha permanently moved to Nevada. After completing the immigration process, she became a naturalized U.S. citizen in January 2023.
For someone who has spent her life building businesses, sitting still wasn't an option. While Don worked out of town, Tasha looked for her next challenge. She first found work as a prep cook at The Wok restaurant, where she remains grateful to owner Chi Van for giving her the opportunity. After several months there, another door opened.
In November 2018, Tasha walked through the doors of Woody's Burger Shack as a prep cook. It was a remarkable reset for a woman who had previously overseen factories employing nearly 1,500 people, but she approached the job with the same determination that had defined her career. It didn't take long for owner William "Butch" Hamilton and his daughter Tiffany to recognize her work ethic and leadership.
By 2019, Tasha had become Woody's manager. Like restaurants everywhere, Woody's faced difficult days during the COVID-19 shutdowns. As business recovered, Tasha saw more than a restaurant getting back on its feet—she saw an opportunity to build something of her own.
She leased Woody's in 2021 and, in December 2024, purchased it outright.
Still, she refuses to let ownership define her.
"You have to have respect for the job, not the title," she said, noting that most customers think she's still just the cook. "Ownership is just a piece of paper."
Tasha is quick to credit the people who helped make her success possible, including her husband, Butch and Tiffany Hamilton, and Fallon Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Lucy Carnahan. Carnahan encouraged her to become more comfortable speaking publicly and even accompanied her to a city council meeting when she sought a liquor license.
"Butch trusted me, and Lucy guided me," she said.
Under Tasha's leadership, Woody's received the Fallon Chamber of Commerce's Outstanding Business Innovations Award in 2025. But awards are only part of how she measures success.
For Tasha, success also means giving back to the community that embraced her. She has donated hundreds of meals to first responders, provided food for community events and purchased gifts for residents of Homestead Senior Living.
Giving back, she says, is part of the American dream she has embraced.
"This country is the best country with lots of opportunity and lots of freedom," she said. "But we need to be brave and work hard to get the opportunities."
Ever the entrepreneur, she already plans to open another business in Fallon before year's end.
Reflecting on her journey from Sri Lanka to small-town Nevada, Tasha remains humble.
"Our skin and hair may be different colors, but we all enter life the same," she said. "What you make of this life is up to you. Why are you wasting one minute?"
Today, customers are most likely to find Tasha exactly where she wants to be—in the kitchen, working alongside her employees rather than behind an office desk. From a tiny café in Sri Lanka to a hometown burger shack in Fallon, her story is one of perseverance, gratitude and the belief that opportunity belongs to those willing to work for it.
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