This Coastal Connection is sponsored by Baths by Spicer Bros.
SUSSEX COUNTY, Del. — Sussex County food-truck owner, Gary Shirey, has turned a childhood marked by tragedy and addiction into a powerful mission of hope and community through his business.
Bub's Grubs Food Truck
Shirey, who runs Bub’s Grubs, recalls a painful childhood and dysfunction after learning his father was imprisoned for murder when he was six. Burdened further by his own battle with heroin addiction, Shirey eventually found himself incarcerated. It was behind bars that he says he hit rock bottom and made a life‑changing decision.
“I thank God every day that I’m still alive,” Shirey reflects, citing the heroin epidemic’s deadly grip on communities. Determined to rewrite his story, he pledged in 2019 to give his own children a better upbringing and bought a food truck. Today, instead of spending money on drugs, he’s investing in feeding the community, especially kids, with cheesesteaks and motivation.
Bub's Grubs Cheesesteak
“Everything I went through made me be able to stand strong against adversity,” Shirey notes.
He also celebrates nearly nine years of sobriety.
“November 29th will be nine years that I haven’t had a needle in my arm,” said Shirey.
Now the face of Bub’s Grubs, Shirey beams with pride knowing his children can say, “my daddy owns this truck.” His journey, rooted in accountability and the ambition to provide for the future, now fuels his mission to serve not just food - but motivation.