Vick’s Burger Shack, devastated by fire, reopens with community support.
SULTAN, Wash. —
A beloved burger shack along Highway 2 is back open nine months after an electrical fire gutted the building, thanks in large part to thousands of dollars raised by the surrounding community.
Vick’s Burger Shack, a family-owned staple that marked 13 years in business this past March, caught fire in August 2025. The blaze destroyed the interior, forcing the family to gut the inside. Family member Jennifer Vick said the smoke damage spread throughout the entire building.
“It was the most destruction I’ve seen,” Vick said. “I’ve never realized how destructive a fire was until it happens to you.”
Making matters worse, an issue with the family’s insurance policy left them without a payout. With the business serving as the primary source of income for most of the family, they faced a difficult decision about whether to rebuild.
“The easy thing would just be like, okay, well, we had a good run, what next?” Vick said. “But we’re also fighters.”
The business is owned by Jennifer’s parents and two brothers.
The community made that decision easier. Friends, neighbors and strangers rallied to raise $26,007 through donations and volunteer labor. Monroe local Steve Veldhuizen was among those who pitched in, helping facilitate a lumber donation from nearby Fritch Mill and helping with the cleanup.
“I believe in helping the community and helping friends out when they need it,” Veldhuizen said.
The shack has now reopened, currently serving milkshakes and freshly squeezed lemonade while the family works toward a full menu. They still need roughly $15,000 to purchase a grill and resume selling burgers. In the meantime, they plan to introduce BLTs and chips as an intermediate step.
“We wanted to open with whatever we could serve, and the community was like, we don’t care what you have, we’re going to come buy it,” Vick said.
Employee John Vinson said the Vick family has earned the outpouring of support.
“They’re really good people,” Vinson said. “They’re not making a lot of money when they’re doing it. They’re doing it for the love of doing it.”
Vick said they expect the restaurant to be open seven days a week from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. starting around May 15 or 16. It’s freshly painted a bright neon yellow-orange along Highway 2 in Sultan.
“The community has been carrying us on,” Vick said. “I don’t know if they realize that, but they really did.”
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