Explosion-ravaged SLO County store torn down 7 months later. What's next?

Mar. 22—Seven months after a downtown Cambria business building was ravaged by an explosion and fire, the burned and dilapidated structure was finally demolished.

After the long delay, the teardown itself happened pretty quickly.

On March 10, building owner Alvin Ferrar told The Cambrian that "I still don't have the green light for the demolition" of the building that had for three decades housed A Matter of Taste, a kitchen, culinary and gift shop.

That same day, A Matter of Taste co-owner Gayle Jenkins expressed similar uncertainty.

"Unfortunately, we are at the mercy of the county (in terms of) permitting, insurance, etc. ... We don't have a say in how quickly this goes ... and it goes slooooow!" Jenkins said. "For now, I have no idea when reopening will happen. The entire situation is frustrating and incredibly disappointing. ... So we wait."

On the afternoon of March 11, however, Smith and Son Restoration and Construction of Grover Beach prepped the site at 4120 Burton Drive for demolition.

The company knocked down the building the next day. It "came down pretty quickly," Ferrar said.

Jenkins said that "watching the demo was pretty surreal," adding that it "makes me sad to see a long-standing building as well as a thriving business for 30 years have to go down. (There were) a lot of great memories in that building. I've enjoyed every minute of owning A Matter of Taste these last nine years.

"However," she continued, "you can let the loss either define you or you can let it fuel you. I choose to let it fuel me. We are excited to move ahead and look forward to the rebuild and what the future may hold."

In the meantime, Jenkins has kept busy, working at Cambria winery Moonstone Cellars and making and selling her baked-to-order shortbread-and-jam tarts via her company, 3 Heart Tarts, offering free delivery from San Simeon to Cayucos. She passed her California real estate exam on March 9, and plans to join Joe Prian's RE/MAX Pines by the Sea real estate agency by April.

What's next for Cambria kitchen store?

Ferrar owns the Burton Drive property that includes his Cambria Drug & Gift pharmacy, The French Corner Bakery and the rough-graded depression in the dirt where A Matter of Taste's building used to be, as well as a shared parking lot.

The lot is still blocked off by construction fencing, and it's apt to remain like that for some time. The damage to the property was extensive.

The fire was sparked Aug. 1, 2020, when a vehicle hit the building that housed A Matter of Taste, breaking a gas line. The veritable firestorm happened near the intersection of the two main drags in the East Village business district, Burton Drive and Main Street on a summer Saturday that was packed with tourists.

Those busy byways were shut down for a time, and gas service was cut off to various neighboring and nearby businesses.

Ferrar said he and his agent, Colleen Zorzi of Badger Realty, will review bids from a couple of contractors.

"Our plan is to absolutely reopen A Matter of Taste," Jenkins wrote in an email.

Although it was sad to see the Burton Drive building go, "it felt good to see something happening and moving forward with the property," she wrote online. "Rebuilding is the goal and this part will equally take quite some time for plans, permits, construction, etc."

"Once again, we are so thankful and appreciative of everyone's love and support in this process," Jenkins said. "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right! Moving forward and looking forward to what the future holds."

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