BARTOW, Fla. — Bartow city officials said the Bartow Fire Department and Polk County Fire Rescue were working a structure fire at Sonny’s BBQ Restaurant, located at 595 N. Broadway Ave.
A fire that started early Wednesday morning has completely destroyed the Sonny's BBQ restaurant in Bartow, leaving a community staple that has served the area since 1992 in ruins.
WATCH: Bartow Sonny's BBQ was destroyed in Wednesday morning fire
The Bartow Fire Department received a call just after 6 a.m. from an employee who discovered the fire. Officials said the employee noticed it when he heard a loud popping sound coming from above.
"Our pitmaster shows up first thing in the morning to unload meat and get out of there and noticed that obviously that there was a fire," said Scott Frantz, president of ACG Barbecue, which oversees 30 Sonny's BBQ franchises.
The fire started in the attic and quickly spread to the roof. Deputy Fire Chief Byron Moore said the flames burned so intensely that the roof eventually collapsed, forcing crews to switch to defensive tactics.
"Unfortunately, we had to pull everyone out and go to defensive attacks," Moore said.
It took firefighters approximately three hours to bring the flames under control.
No injuries were reported in the incident.
"Things can be replaced. People can't, so I think at the end of the day we dodged the bullet," Frantz said.
The cause remains under investigation, though Moore said he believes it originated in the kitchen area, possibly related to cooking equipment.
"The popping sound, it was above his head. I'm not sure what it was at this point. We've got some intuitions and, you know, something to do with the cooking element," Moore said.
The loss has devastated the restaurant's employees, many of whom have worked there for years.
"It's been hard - 30 years of blood, sweat and tears in this place, and it's hard to see it like this … it's just devastating," said Linda Avila, assistant general manager.
Avila expressed concern for the team she calls family.
"This is our family, this is - I'm worried about our hourly employees," Avila said.
Frantz assured the 50 team members that the company will work to keep them employed, either by placing them with other area franchises or potentially starting a food truck operation while they work to rebuild.
"We got 50 team members that want to make sure get taken care of because they're the heart and soul. They're the ones that make it work," Frantz said.
Fire crews remained on scene throughout the day monitoring hot spots. Officials have declared the building a total loss.
"I continue to applaud the efforts of our Bartow Fire Department men and women who worked all day to put out the unfortunate fire at Sonny’s BBQ restaurant. Unfortunately the structure could not be saved, however, because the incident occurred early in the morning it is my understanding that no employees or customers were injured. Our community is sad today and we really feel for the workers who may be out of employment for a time. Our City team stands ready to help the Sonny’s employees who may need assistance connecting with social agencies in the community during this time of need. Additionally, when the owners are ready to rebuild and reopen, our City team will provide expedited reviews of plans and permits. In Bartow we come together to help each other."
As of 10:30 a.m., officials said some roads in the surrounding area were closed due to fire department activity.
Active closures:
- North Broadway Avenue is closed between Polk Street and Boulevard Street
- Boulevard Street is closed between North Broadway Avenue and North Mill Avenue
- Polk Street is closed between North Broadway Avenue and North Mills Street
According to officials, a detour road is being established to access areas south of Boulevard Street.
Map of closures and detour route:
The detour road takes drivers east on East Polk Street, then south on North Wilson Avenue to East Church Street, and East Church Street to North Broadway Avenue.
State fire marshal officials are investigating to determine what caused the fire.
This is a developing story. Tampa Bay 28 will provide more details as they become available.
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