Rising from the Ashes

There are always going to be bumps in the road when starting a new business, but nobody expects to hit a huge moon crater on the way to their grand opening.

That’s just what happened to Pete and Jess Ignatiev, the proprietors of the Heirloom MKE food truck, as they were working toward the opening of their first brick-and-mortar restaurant, Heirloom Bayview, the truck that made it all possible caught on fire.

The truck was destroyed, as were some equipment and supplies that were stored inside. The blaze occurred outside the new restaurant on July 22nd. Fortunately, nobody was injured, and nearby buildings were spared.

Not that there’s ever a good time for your food truck to go up in flames, but having it happen during the summer is especially difficult since it’s the busy season in the rolling restaurant business when most of its revenue is generated.

So, the degree of difficulty has been raised, but the Ignatievs are not giving up. They were on the verge of announcing the restaurant’s opening date when the fire screwed up their plans, but they have started taking pickup orders from their full menu on select dates.

If you want to support Heirloom as they simultaneously launch and rebuild, you can schedule a pickup from the restaurant at 2378 S Howell. (And, of course, you can visit once they’re officially open.) Or, if you want to make a donation, you can do it via a Go Fund Me page. Also, you can keep up with schedules and updates via their Instagram account.