THUNDER BAY – The Paddy Wagon will help lock up hunger in Thunder Bay starting on Monday when it opens in the Port Arthur Curling Club.
Jessie Wildeman, owner of The Paddy Wagon as well as head chef, is super excited to get going with the business.
“It all started with my brother and I. We love to cook. We love to have barbecues, host parties - anything to serve food.
“We built a food truck last spring and had that running in Regina.”
Their first day in Regina, the brothers attended the food truck wars. They sold out four times that day, he said, which allowed them to get their name out and attend the farmers market.
“We got tons of great feedback from all the other food trucks,” Wildeman said.
Wildeman’s brother now has the food truck, Highland Curling Club’s kitchen and most recently a racetrack kitchen.
Wildeman worked in the oil field for a period of time while his brother continued to cook and “make everything happen.”
“Back in March I returned to the kitchen. I found out they needed someone in here. We put in an offer and they accepted.”
The Paddy Wagon is located inside the Port Arthur Curling Centre, at 214 Egan St. It will officially open on Monday from 11 a.m. until 8 p.m. or until they sell out.
Wildeman said they are planning a grand opening near the end of July, where there will be entertainment.
The Paddy Wagon also has a full-service bar which seats approximately 175 people.
Wildeman said they are going to have local breweries on tap, but have not made it that far yet.
The plans include dine-in, take-out and Skip the Dishes.
The Paddy Wagon offers smash burgers, Philly cheese steaks, hot dogs, poutine, desserts and more.
“We home make everything, so our food is fresh.
“Our beef is Certified Angus Beef. It’s all ground chuck. It is the best beef you can get,” Wideman said.
The Paddy Wagon has a special supplier just for beef, he said.
“That’s what’s going to set us apart from a lot of other places that do burgers.”
Wildeman said they only use high quality-products.
“We don’t worry about the cost of our ingredients. We want to serve the same food that we would be eating,” he said.
“I’ve had great feedback here. Thunder Bay loves their burgers.
“I’m very excited to feed Thunder Bay and give them the best burger they have ever had.”
Starting in October they will be open 8 a.m. to 11 p.m. to offer breakfast and sandwiches.
Micheal Davis, son of Terry Davis whose celebration of life took place at PACC on Saturday, said the Paddy Wagon has been incredible with its accommodations.
He said the restaurant wanted to be involved with the celebration, since Terry was very involved with the PACC.
