Where to Find a Burger Night Special in Delaware
Some restaurants in the state offer special “Burger Night” deals.
Mike Stanley, the owner of Burgers by Wildwich, was awakened early Thursday morning to find his food truck on fire in his driveway.
He and his son fled the home when Belvedere Fire Department arrived to put out the fire just before 3:30 a.m. And while no one was injured, the truck belonging to Burgers by Wildwich — a fan favorite often booked for events in Delaware and Pennsylvania — was damaged beyond repair.
Stanley said he learned from the fire marshal’s office that the fire appeared to have started in the truck’s rear left container, which stores lithium-ion batteries. The batteries are charged using solar energy to power the truck, and Stanley said they may have sparked while charging.
The cause of the fire remains under investigation. The fire marshal’s office did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
What’s next for Burgers by Wildwich?
Thursday’s fire was far from the first difficulty Stanley has faced with a food truck since starting his business 10 years ago. The Wildwich truck was stolen from a downtown Wilmington parking lot in 2018, and Stanley said another example of the truck was wrecked by a drunk driver.
Still, Stanley said he “can never give up on rebuilding.”
His food truck is popular and he appreciates the mobility that a wagon or possibly a trailer (Stanley is still undecided) offers.
“Every place has its own unique atmosphere,” Stanley said.
Once the insurance money for the truck comes through, Stanley said Burgers by Wildwich will begin work on a new vehicle, “keeping (their) processes in mind.” In the past, Stanley has had to find ways to work with the existing trucks, which resulted in his company working awkwardly or “even backwards” to adapt its menu to the infrastructure.
Stanley and his crew plan to work on the new truck throughout the fall and winter so it will be ready for the start of the food truck season in the spring.
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In the meantime, Stanley is ramping up his efforts to open a real Burgers by Wildwich restaurant in Claymont. If all goes well, Stanley hopes to open the restaurant in the first week of September, especially now that he and his staff no longer have income from the food truck.
“No matter what happens, never get discouraged,” Stanley said. “You just keep going, you get to the next level and you keep achieving success. Otherwise, there would be no point in dreaming.”
Send story tips or ideas to Hannah Edelman at [email protected]. For more stories, follow her on X at @h_edelman.
