A 3-alarm fire Saturday night caused significant damage to the Maurice’s Piggie Park complex in West Columbia, and it will affect all of the local chain’s restaurants.
The main Maurice’s barbecue restaurant in the 1600 block of Charleston Highway, which has been in that location since 1953, was not damaged by the blaze, Maurice’s officials said Sunday on Facebook. But that location, along with the seven other restaurants, will be closed starting Monday.
That’s because the fire gutted the chain’s distribution center, food prep area and administrative offices, West Columbia Fire Department Chief Marquis Solomon told The State on Sunday. The building was heavily damaged, and could be a total loss, according to Solomon.
“The BBQ pits, food preparation and processing plant facilities, and our offices are completely gone,” the Piggie Park family said in a Facebook post. “The pits have been burning here since 1992, and it breaks the heart of our family and loyal staff to see this tragedy hit us. Our BBQ pits here are where all our meats and sides are prepared, and we have an unbelievable mountain to climb ahead of us.
“… For anyone who knows our family, knows we won’t give up and will work endlessly to do what we need to do to continue the BBQ legacy and support our 150 employees and community we love dearly.”
The West Columbia Maurice’s restaurant was closed Sunday, and will be for “some time,” according to an employee who answered a phone call. But all of the other locations in the Columbia and Lexington areas were open for business. That will change beginning Monday.
Their food will soon run out, possibly before the end of business Sunday.
The restaurants rely on the distribution center for the food at their locations.
“We plan for all our restaurants to be closed Monday until further notice,” Maurice’s officials said. “We will be taking it day by day as we work to reopen and rebuild.”
The other Maurice’s locations are:
▪ Lake Murray Boulevard in Irmo
▪ Elmwood Avenue in downtown Columbia
▪ Devine Street in Columbia
▪ Clemson Road in northeast Columbia
▪ Oneil Court in northeast Columbia
▪ West Main Street in Lexington
▪ South Lake Drive in Lexington
The West Columbia Fire Department was alerted about the fire after 9 p.m., according to Solomon. Flames could be seen shooting through the building’s roof.
Solomon said it took about two hours to get the fire under control, and four hours for it to be extinguished.
No injuries were reported.
In addition to the West Columbia Fire Department, the cause of the fire and its point of origin are being investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, South Carolina Law Enforcement Division and South Carolina State Fire. Foul play has not been ruled out, Solomon said.
“The iconic landmark BBQ sign is safe, and the firefighters were able to take down and give us the American flag still waving,” Maurice’s officials said on Facebook.
