Fire destroys Marathon restaurant, damages adjoining marina

Jan. 18--One of Marathon's favorite restaurants and watering holes was destroyed by fire early Saturday morning. The adjoining marina was damaged.

Salty's and the 7 Mile Marina, on the bayside at mile marker 47 just by the Seven Mile Bridge, erupted in flames about 3 a.m., hours after closing. State Fire Marshal Wally Romero, formerly with Monroe County Fire Rescue, said "it doesn't look criminal, doesn't look like arson" early in the investigation.

Marathon Fire Chief John Johnson said it took about half an hour to get the fire completely under control; he said his crew fought a "defensive attack."

Investigators appeared to be focusing on the area where there was an aquarium, near the stage where musicians perform.

By daylight, some dock pilings were still smoldering but pretty much all that was left was the concrete frame of the three-story restaurant, whose roof was mostly tiki-hut style. The adjoining ship's shop was a pile of ashes.

Dan Rudacille, who runs Salty's with his wife Katie for property owners Paul and Peggy Bielik, said it was a normal Friday night when he left around 12:45 a.m. He said he got a phone call around 3 a.m. and didn't answer, but then did answer a text that followed shortly.

"What a shame," he said. Luckily, he said, he has good insurance on the business.

Steve McIntyre, who worked at Salty's for two years, was cooking there Friday night. "I shut down the kitchen. It was the same old procedure -- turned off the gas, unplugged some [small] appliances," he said.

Sheila Wiedenheft, who was surveying the damage with dozens of others, said Salty's was one of her favorite spots, and that she had left there about 10 p.m. after eating fish tacos. "The music was still going," she said. "It's just a shame."

Two charter boats in the marina were destroyed, the Finn's Up and the Wanted. Owners Skip and Deb Bradshaw said their insurance should cover their losses.

Salty's was open for about three years. Rudacille said it's far too early to figure out what's next.

___

(c)2014 the Florida Keys Keynoter (Marathon, Fla.)

Visit the Florida Keys Keynoter (Marathon, Fla.) at www.keysnet.com

Distributed by MCT Information Services