ANDERSON TOWNSHIP, Ohio (WKRC) – Workers at a popular seafood restaurant in Anderson Township are dealing with the aftermath of a fire that shut down the business Friday.
As it turns out, the blaze didn’t just devastate the owner, employees, and patrons of Pelican’s Reef, it also forced other nearby businesses to close.
Courtney Stenger has made Fridays at Pelican’s Reef on Beechmont Avenue a family tradition. Now, caution tape, charred equipment, and the distinct smell of smoke have halted those plans.
“I feel for the families and the employees, and hopefully we can rebuild,” said Stenger.
The fire didn’t make its way into the hair salon “Gloss” next door, but it will have to keep its doors closed, too.
“Our understanding is that the fire was in the exhaust system from the restaurant and if you look on the side of the building, it’s real obvious. You can see the big vent that was on fire,” said Carol Sutto, whose daughters own Gloss.
The heat destroyed thousands of dollars worth of hair color products, the fire wrecked the electrical system which killed the power, and smoke damage is apparent. So, the doors will remain closed for an indefinite amount of time.
The owners say they are lucky they have a second location in Montgomery to try to accommodate clients until they can get back inside their salon.
“You pour your heart and soul into something, and you work hard and you got employees you feel responsible for,” Sutto said.
If you don’t know much about Anderson Township, locals say they stick together.
“Anderson is very community-oriented,” said resident Shake Spaulding. “‘Shop local’ is an Anderson statement.”
Spaulding is an enthusiastic patron of Pelican’s Reef. He, like many others, is ready and willing to help and show support any way he can.
“I don’t want to be cliché, but it’s nice to walk in where everybody knows your name, where you are going to see familiar faces,” he said.
Fortunately, the restaurant was empty when the fire broke out around 5:30 a.m. One firefighter did suffer an ankle injury.
