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Wayne Burkart knows his customers have been waiting.

He's ready to give them what they want: A bite of a classic Myrtle Beach burger.

Burky's Grill, a longtime Myrtle Beach staple that was seriously damaged by a fire in December 2023, will reopen on Thursday, May 1. Almost a year and a half later, Burkart said he's ready for locals to get their burger fix.

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Firefighters respond to fire at Burky's Grill in Myrtle Beach

• By Hannah Strong Oskin hannah.oskin@myhorrynews.com

At 11 a.m. on Thursday, that will be a reality.

"We’ve been waiting for so long. This seems like a dream come true. We’re ready for Thursday at 11 o’clock," Burkart said.

"The main thing is these people are giving us another chance. They’re going to come in and say ‘We waited a year and a half, buddy. Don’t disappoint me.’ And that’s what I’m telling my people. We have a brand, and the brand is Burky’s. It took 40 years of a lot of hard work from a lot of people to keep it consistent, keep it friendly and keep it clean."

After an extended repair and recovery process, the classic Horry County dining spot will be open with almost a fresh start. Burkart says from the "ceiling to the floor," including equipment and furniture, the restaurant will have a brand new feel.

But, the only thing that won't have a different look when Burky's opens its doors?

The people.

Burkart is bringing back 14 of the employees who were working with him when the fire took place at the end of 2023. He's also added six more employees, bringing the total to 20 once things open back up. 

He credits them, and local burger-lovers, for this special week being possible.

"My crew and my customers," the owner said. "Those are the two reasons we’re back."

Burkart has owned the restaurant since 1983. Before that, he spent a decade in the restaurant business in other states. He started in a small pizza shop in Virginia Beach before working for Wendy's for eight years, spending quite a bit of time in Ohio at its corporate training center. 

It was at that training center where he met and built a relationship with Dave Thomas, the late founder and CEO of Wendy's. 

Burkart's people-oriented approach to running Burky's, he says, stems directly from his experience with Thomas.

"I saw him every day," Burkart said. "We all did. What a guy. He’s one of a kind. He was so basic. He just wanted to meet people. When he was opening up a franchise, he didn’t care what the owner was driving. Or how much money you were worth. He just wanted to go meet your crew. I saw this time after time. This guy was a people person."

Now, day-to-day operations at Burky's mirrors what Thomas taught Burkart. 

"I pulled that knowledge together for opening up Burky’s," he said. "We’re very similar. The way we set our sandwich station together. The way we set up our condiments. There’s a reason Dave Thomas did things. I believed in his philosophy. We applied it then, and we’re still applying it."

Burky's, located at 4001 N. Kings Hwy. in Myrtle Beach, will be serving up its famous grill classics — burgers, fries, ice cream and more — starting Thursday and will be open every day from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m.

Gallery

Gallery: Burky’s Grill reopens after 2023 fire

• By S.T. Cardinal tommy.cardinal@myhorrynews.com

Burkart knows Myrtle Beach is ready for their burgers.

He's ready to deliver.

"After 40 years, I realize that this place — Myrtle Beach, the Grand Strand — needed an anchor," Burkart said. "A good ‘ole fashioned burger joint. It’s now a good 'ole fashioned, brand new burger joint."