Blue Plate’s David Burley killed on motorcycle by drunk driver, charges say

David Burley, the longtime co-owner of Blue Plate Restaurant Co., died in a motorcycle crash Sunday in Wisconsin involving a suspected drunken driver. He was 58.

Along with Stephanie Shimp, Burley spearheaded several popular Twin Cities restaurants, starting with the Highland Grill in St. Paul in 1993. They added six more restaurants — Groveland Tap, Longfellow Grill, Edina Grill, 3 Squares, the Lowry and the Freehouse — over the years as well as the popular Blue Barn stand at the Minnesota State Fair. All Blue Plate restaurants will be closed today.

“David was the heart and soul of Blue Plate — a visionary leader and a joyful generous spirit who made everyone feel welcome,” read a social media post from the restaurant group. “Since opening our first restaurant in 1993, David’s energy, creativity and kindness have shaped everything we are today.”

The crash occurred about 2:45 p.m. Sunday on westbound Interstate 94 near Hudson and just east of the Minnesota border, according to the Wisconsin State Patrol.

The driver of a car in the right lane “attempted to overtake traffic by using the right shoulder,” a patrol statement read. The car hit a guardrail, veered back into the right lane and collided with Burley’s motorcycle, the statement continued.

Both the car and the motorcycle crashed into a concrete median barrier, the statement read.

Emergency medical responders took Burley to a nearby hospital, where he died.

The car’s driver, identified by the patrol as Andre Lamont Mathews, 33, of Brooklyn Park, was taken to Regions Hospital in St. Paul for treatment of noncritical injuries.

On Monday, Mathews was charged in St. Croix County Circuit Court with homicide by intoxicated use of a vehicle.

Mathews’ criminal history in Minnesota includes convictions for felony drugs and driving without insurance. In Wisconsin, he was convicted last year for going 17 miles per hour over the speed limit on a freeway.

Burley and Shimp first met at the Nicollet Island Inn, where both were servers. The two dreamt of what their version of a neighborhood restaurant would be. They realized it in 1993, when they spotted a classified ad in the Star Tribune.

The Highland Grill opened with a mix of modern menu items like sweet potato fries, classics the two loved, like pierogis, and a dedication to great breakfast food. The restaurant was a hit and eventually unlocked Blue Plate’s key to sustained success of balancing neighborhood restaurant needs with modern comforts.

Burley was a small business advocate, helping to change Edina’s liquor laws around happy hours and serving on the Minnesota Restaurant Association and the 50th & France Business and Professional Association. The native of Perth, Australia, was also not above poking a little fun at his own expense, promoting a Bald and Free Day at Blue Plate restaurants.

Burley and Shimp were married from 1995 to 1998, but retained 50-50 ownership of the business.

“My heart is absolutely broken by the devastating news of David’s passing,” Shimp said in a statement. “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.”