Hugger Mugger owners say they'll rebuild, reopen after fire

May 16--About 30 customers were dining yesterday morning at Hugger Mugger when they were ushered out of the building.

Manager Brad Cunningham smelled smoke and saw flames around 11:30 a.m. and realized the building was on fire.

He alerted the owner, Paul Guyer, who was in his office, then called the fire department and the building was evacuated, Cunningham said.

When Shenango Township firefighters arrived at the Ellwood Road restaurant, a back corner of the building was burning and smoke was rolling out.

Fire chief David Rishel said he was with the truck that was first to arrive, "and we knocked it down right away. I thought we were going to lose the whole building."

The cause and origin of the fire remain under investigation.

Fire departments from New Castle, Taylor Township, Princeton and South New Castle borough also responded and helped to quickly douse the flames that spread vertically to the top of the building inside.

The Shenango Township fire department used its ladder truck to attack the fire from the top of the building.

The damage was limited to the back, southeast corner.

"I grabbed the garden hose," said Guyer, who was in the building and saw smoke.

"When I saw it coming out of the walls, I knew my garden hose wasn't enough."

As to how the fire will impact the restaurant, Guyer said, "I know we'll be closed, but I don't know how long."

He said he already had contacted his insurance carrier.

Christine Sojack, a waitress at the restaurant, said, "We could smell smoke, but we couldn't see it."

General manager Ricky Wiseman said the fire appears to have started in the freezer.

"We're really not sure what caused it," he said.

He said Guyer's son, Jacob Guyer, went outside and saw embers on the ground.

"We shut the main breaker off and got everybody out of the building," Wiseman said. "I ripped the wall off by the freezer to get the fire out before everyone got here."

"We have every intent of rebuilding," Wiseman said. "We just hope we have everyone's thoughts and prayers."

Guyer and his wife, Genevieve, have owned Hugger Mugger for about 10 years and that is their only business, he said.

"It's a big, big loss," he said.

The restaurant has been well supported by the community, and local firefighters and emergency medical technicians have been steady customers, Guyer said.

"We just replaced all of the furniture inside -- the tables and the booths," he said. "It was just finished two months ago."

(Email: [email protected])

(Email: [email protected])

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