HARRISBURG — A popular food truck venture could be moving into a permanent location along Harrisburg’s main drag.
The Big Orange Food Truck is moving forward on plans to purchase the building previously occupied by Harrisburgers, food truck owner Dean Marshall announced Monday, Jan. 9, on Facebook.
“We put in an offer for the restaurant Harrisburgers and it was ACCEPTED! We are beyond excited for this opportunity,” Marshall wrote on The Big Orange Food Truck’s page.
The new restaurant hopes to open for business as early as March 1, which will give Marshall a bit of time to develop menus and make new hires to support a physical location, he said.
Originally from Michigan, Marshall now lives in Harrisburg with his wife and kids. With a passion for food, he first opened up The Big Orange Food Truck in 2018. Since then, he’s traveled across southeastern South Dakota with his mobile business, serving up a variety of staples and more adventurous street-style dishes between public events and private catering.
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He’s even won awards for his creations, too. In 2019, Marshall won the Sioux Falls Chef Battle with his take on Kabuli pulao, an Afghan rice dish traditionally consisting of spiced lamb served on rice with carrots, raisins and toasted almonds. Last year, Marshall also won the New Age Nosh award at Freeman's annual Chislic Festival.
Harrisburgers, at 106 E. Willow St. in Harrisburg, served the community with a 1950s-themed diner for nearly a decade. However, owner Nick Lund announced on Facebook in mid-December that the restaurant would be closing at the turn of the new year.
“Some of you may know that we own 2 businesses, Harrisburgers and Flagship Pro Wrestling. For 10 years we have operated Harrisburgers and have been honored to serve our wonderful community, however with how fast Flagship has grown, being able to run both and keep a balance with our family has become difficult,” Lund wrote on Harrisburgers’ page. “After discussion we have decided it was time to focus on one business therefore we have put Harrisburgers up for sale! We can't wait for someone to come in, take it over, and put their own spin on it.”
Harrisburg has seen continuous growth over the past decade, growing seven-fold since 2003 with its 2021 population estimate sitting just shy of 8,000.
Marshall was not immediately available to discuss the future for the physical location in Harrisburg.
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