After working together as servers at the Nicollet Island Inn during the 1990s, David Burley and Stephanie Shimp opened the Highland Grill on Cleveland Avenue, followed by a series of additional restaurants under the title, Blue Plate Restaurant Company, including the Groveland Tap and Longfellow Grill.
On Sunday afternoon, Burley died from a motorcycle crash on Interstate 94 in Wisconsin’s St. Croix County, according to a company statement shared on social media. All Blue Plate Restaurants will be closed on Monday in remembrance.
Stephanie Shimp, co-owner of the Blue Plate Restaurant Company and Burley’s ex-wife, released a written statement Sunday evening.
“My heart is absolutely broken by the devastating news of David’s passing,” Shimp wrote. “Losing him so suddenly is overwhelming – a painful shock that has left me and our entire Blue Plate family grieving a loss too deep for words. David’s passion and kindness were the foundation of everything we built together. We will profoundly miss his spirit, energy and irreplaceable presence.”
As co-founders of the Blue Plate Restaurant Company, the couple launched the Edina Grill, 3 Squares, The Lowry, The Blue Barn at the Minnesota State Fair and The Freehouse.