Fire Destroys Heirloom MKE Food Truck

Heirloom MKE food truck after fire. Photo from Heirloom MKE Facebook page.

Local food truck Heirloom MKE suffered a major loss over the weekend, when the vehicle was destroyed by a fire during the early-morning hours of Saturday, July 22.

The blaze, which took place in Bay View, did not spread to any surrounding buildings, and nobody was injured. An investigation into the cause of the fire is underway, according to owners Pete and Jess Ignatiev.

“That food truck is our everything. It is our livelihood. It is our future. It allows us to pay our employees, to pay our bills, to open a new restaurant…. and now it is gone,” the Ignatievs wrote in an online statement.

For better or worse, the Ignatievs are well-versed in the industry’s unpredictable nature. Before launching Heirloom MKE in 2020, the couple were on the verge of opening a brick-and-mortar restaurant. But  the COVID-19 pandemic struck in the lead-up to the opening.

Instead, the couple pivoted to a mobile concept with the food truck and catering business, drawing on their industry experience to create a standout menu of upscale comfort food with an emphasis on locally-sourced ingredients.

Earlier this year, the Ignatievs again secured a restaurant space — the former site of Lazy Susan — and were preparing to open in the coming months. In fact, the couple was just days away from announcing an opening date for the new space, 2378 S. Howell Ave., before the fire.

The Heirloom MKE food truck will be out of commission for the foreseeable future — not ideal at any time but especially during peak season for outdoor events. In the interim, the Ignatievs have established two avenues for community support.

A GoFundMe for the business has raised $13,430 as of Monday morning, with a goal of $50,000. Donations can be submitted online.

Starting this week Wednesday, Heirloom MKE will begin curbside pick-up at its restaurant space in Bay View. Orders can be placed online and picked up on-site.

Heirloom MKE’s full menu will be available for carry-out dining. That includes fruit-studded burrata salad, burgers and sandwiches, steamed mussels, braised beef rib, crab cakes and Heirloom’s crowd-favorite cheese curds. Vegetarian options are available.

In a series of social media posts, the couple thanked customers for their support, while also noting that nobody should feel obligated to donate.

“We completely understand if you are not able to provide financial support, your emotional support means the world to us,” they wrote. “We will always be a Milwaukee business, the food truck will live on, and we will get through this, because of you all.”

Curbside hours for this week are Wednesday through Saturday from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Pick-up is at 2378 S. Howell Ave.