When the Marshall Fire tore through the suburban towns of Superior and Louisville in Colorado in late December, it took with it the 15-day-old restaurant The Rotary, and left little for the owners to salvage.
"It's surreal in the sense that you're never ready for your business, your restaurant, to burn down," said co-owner Scott Boyd. "I have asked a bunch of people to see if anyone has any ideas on what to do, but it's not a lot of people that have been in the same situation."
The fire came on quickly, allegedly started in a compound about six miles away from The Rotary. December 2021 had been warm and dry, and those aspects, mixed with winds clocked at over 100 miles per hour, made for perfect wildfire conditions. Within six hours the fire has spread over 9.4-square miles, jumping streets and taking out whole neighborhoods. The Rotary was located right next to a Subway sandwich shop that completely burned down.
Yet, unlike many of the homes that were impacted by the fire, The Rotary was preserved on the inside by its fire sprinklers. Boyd said a lot of the interior didn't get burned, but it did get drenched with 1,000 gallons of water and has smoke damage. The heat also caused the windows to burst, and, since the next day brought a snowstorm, even more water and weather got inside. Pair that with temperature fluctuation, and Boyd said he just doesn't know what will be salvageable.
Currently, the team, which includes co-owners chef Don Gragg and Scott’s brother Brian Boyd, is trying to figure out where to take the equipment to test it and see what survived the disaster.
"If we were, say, open for five years, a lot of the equipment would be older, but all of this stuff is brand new," Scott Boyd said, explaining there was thousands of dollars-worth of equipment in the building. "Insurance says it's totaled up to the limit, so anything we can save will help make up the costs."
For example, the special Churrasco-style rotisserie imported from Brazil. It was new and cost a lot of money, he added. To get a new one could take months to over a year.
"It would have been worse for me if we had never opened," said Scott Boyd, who did a lot of the interior by hand with a friend. "We did the painting and a lot of carpentry; it was a real labor of love."
This third installment of The Rotary launched in mid-December, 15 days before the fire. Scott Boyd said the team was excited to expand their concept of a fine-causal eatery that serves local foods, including Churrasco-style rotisserie meat, seasonal vegetables, South American-inspired sauces and meals friendly to a slew of diets such as KETO, Whole30, gluten-free and so on. Dishes range $12 to $20.
The first iteration of The Rotary opened in Avanti Food & Beverage, a food hall and restaurant incubator located in North Denver. It was there for two years before the team left to open a brick-and-mortar spot in Southeast Denver in early 2021. The third unit was close to Scott Boyd's home in Louisville, a northwest suburb of Denver. Though the devastation of the restaurant is hard, he is thankful his house is still standing.
"These neighborhoods are destroyed and there is nothing left, except maybe part of their chimney, and when you really think about it, there were refrigerators and sinks and bathtubs, and now, nothing left," he said in an interview. "Seeing that and knowing our house was spared gives perspective."
That, and knowing the restaurant was insured helps him not get overwhelmed by the tragedy of the disaster. It also helps, he added, that the other location is still standing and that the dining community and neighboring restaurants have been so supportive.
Many in the industry have rallied to help those who lost businesses, jobs or homes.
The Colorado Restaurant Foundation’s Angel Relief Fund gave out $500 to $1,000 in grants to 15 people who were unable to work or lost homes, said Laura Shunk, the foundation’s president. “Our hearts go out to all of those impacted,” she said. “Further, we continue to be awestruck by the generosity of local restaurants — many have stepped up to help these communities recover, even as they are still reeling from two years of pandemic losses and uncertainty.”
Troy Guard, chef of TAG Restaurant Group, for example, has launched a fundraising effort.
“We all know someone, or know someone who knows someone, who was affected by this fire and I wanted to make the biggest impact I could," said Guard. "My team is really coming together to try to raise $25,000 and I’m hoping our guests will literally put their money where their mouths are and join us. I know we can raise $50K in 30 days."
At the small Denver-based restaurant chain Mici Handcrafted Italian, which has a location right outside the burn area in the town of Lafayette, they are selling keepsakes made by local artists Greg and Cathy Burdock for $20 each. All proceeds will be used to provide meals to victims of the fire, and Mici has partnered with local Flatirons Church to provide gift cards for families in need and cater lunches for teachers at schools affected by the fire.
Overall, the press — for good or for bad — is helping the other location of The Rotary, both to bring awareness of those impacted by the fire and awareness of the brand.
Scott Boyd said the options for picking up or dining at The Rotary will soon grow. There are plans to open in the Denver International Airport, and he plans to replace the location lost in the fire — though where exactly that replacement will be has yet to be determined. He may stay in Louisville, or look for another Denver suburb. It all depends on what is available, how much they can salvage and the insurance payout, he said.
But one thing is certain: he and his partners are thinking a lot more about fire safety and the durability of the next building.
