Mighty Bite closes temporarily due to health issues
Customers and friends have since rallied behind the couple to help them survive the shutdown.
Natalia Domaszk, 39, and her husband Daniel, 42, have lived in Darlington for 11 years and are the owners of Mighty Bite, which opened in 2020.
The business started with a black food van bought from friends in Edinburgh after Natalia lost her job during the Covid pandemic. It has gone from strength to strength and is now a ‘well-loved’ food spot in the town.
Natalia had been working as a breakfast chef at Crathorne Hall Hotel but was made redundant during the pandemic and decided to start her own business. Two years later Daniel joined the business, serving customers while Natalia cooked.
The couple said: “We didn’t have friends in Darlington and so we had to rely on the community and word of mouth. Now we have created a real customer base of loyal customers and friends that we now class as our family over here.
“We now have customers who come every day. Since we have been closed people have been messaging us missing the food.”
Mighty Bite shut on December 19 for Christmas and reopened for just one day before Natalia went into hospital. She has since had an operation related to bowel health issues and endometriosis and has been unable to cook, forcing the van to close.
The couple said: “We were just so worried if we closed for a few weeks or months people wouldn’t come back, but the messages of support have been great.”
They claim they have no access to financial support due to being self-employed and only closing for a short period. They have turned to baking brownies and sweet treats from home and selling them online to generate income.
Natalia said: “It has been a great way to get some money from people who want to help but not feel like we are just taking off the community. When I am in a position to help someone I always try to help so it has been nice knowing people will look out for us as well.
“We have been making them to survive really but now people want us to do them all the time. It is just so much appreciated.
“We always try and put everybody first but couldn’t this time at the moment as healing and health is more important.”
Daniel said the reality of an illness had been hard to plan for.
He said: “Being self employed you always try to be smart and plan ahead in case of short term illness like a few days off, but it feels impossible to think that far ahead so it is tough and hard being off for this long.
“We didn’t expect our friend to go through with setting up a fundraiser but we are so appreciative because it can be hard and we now need to get back on our feet to reopen. We are just so very appreciative of the support not just now but over all the years.”
The couple plan to reopen Mighty Bite on Monday, February 2, operating reduced hours from 10am until 2pm to support Nataliaβs recovery.
She is due to undergo another minor surgery next month and will take a week to recover.
Donate to the fundraiser here –