Bourrée Restaurant owner vows to reopen after business struck by Friday fire: 'This is my livelihood'

Feb. 28—Bourrée Restaurant owner Tony Robinson said it may take months for the popular Youngsville brunch and lunch spot to bounce back from a Friday fire that ravaged the business.

Firefighters with the Youngsville, Broussard and Milton fire departments responded to the blaze at 1821 Chemin Metairie Parkway at 5:10 a.m. Friday and found heavy smoke and flames coming from the restaurant's attic and the rear of the building, the Youngsville Fire Department said in a statement. While only a portion of the building burned, the entire restaurant suffered smoke and water damage, Bourrée's owner said.

Youngsville Fire Chief Blair Rivette said the cause is believed to be spontaneous combustion from towels and aprons that were stuffed into an enclosed bag and placed in the storeroom while still hot from being dried. The Lafayette Fire Department conducted the investigation into the cause of the fire, he said.

Robinson said video surveillance suggests the fire in the storeroom was burning for roughly four hours before it became visible to the outside and was reported. The fire's slow burn is what contributed to the damage throughout; the air-conditioning unit ran until it eventually melted, pumping smoke, ash and soot throughout the restaurant and into the main dining area and bar, he said.

While the damage isn't as evident from the building's front, it's pretty significant on the inside, the owner said.

"I got over here and then you're just watching it and it's like everything is running through your mind. It's like, I've got bills to pay, I've got employees who've got to work. That stuff just goes through your mind all day long. We have to make it through this somehow. It's just more stunned than anything," Robinson said.

Fortunately, no one was in the business during the fire and neighboring businesses were protected by a built-in firewall. A neighboring unit suffered some smoke damage and a bit of water infiltration while fire crews worked to contain the flames, but the damage was minimal, he said.

The restaurateur and his wife Tina, former owners of Papa T's Cafe in Lafayette, have never experienced a setback like this in their career, he said. Bourrée Restaurant, which opened in its current location in June 2019, had built a solid customer base, with wait times typical during weekend brunch, Robinson said. The goal is to get back to that business.

"We are very confident that we're going to be able to reopen. We're going to be able to get everything done. It's just going to take a little time to get it all done," Robinson said.

The owner said he's been told by the development's owner it could take around six months, maybe more maybe less, before they'll be able to reopen the restaurant. The process is already in motion, with insurance steps, like hiring private fire inspectors to assess the damage, in the works, he said.

Robinson said he expects the unit will likely need to be gutted and built out again; the Louisiana State Fire Marshal's Office told Robinson and the development owner they should plan to resubmit building plans for the space, he said. The need for workers will likely contribute to the length of the project; labor remains in short supply in the region after last year's hurricane season and the recent winter storm have created high demand, the owner said.

Though the road ahead may be long, the restaurateur said he hasn't had a moment of doubt that they'll push on and reopen — even while seeing the building burn.

"This is my livelihood. This is what I've been doing all my life. This is what I know how to do....You don't want to get yourself down and in a funk. There's only one way to get out of it and that's to move forward," Robinson said.

While the steps to rebuild, logistically, are sucking up considerable time and energy, Robinson said his biggest concern is the welfare of his 17 employees, whom he doesn't have the means to support while the restaurant is closed and not producing income. Bourrée's owner said local businesses and friends have stepped up to help where they can.

Huya Craft Coffee in Youngsville is collecting donations for an employee support fund, the owner of Lux Spa has created a GoFundMe for the workers and Ragin Pest Elimination is donating a portion of their sales to help Bourrée's displaced employees, Robinson said.

Bourrée's owner said the love is incredible.

"You can't even measure it....when something like that happens, and just the community outpouring that you get, it astounds you. You're amazed at how much the community is there to support you and wanting to support you," he said.

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