The jobs of 35 employees of the Supermacs fast food chain are in jeopardy this week following a massive blaze that completely gutted the interior of the building on the High Street in the city.
Nobody was injured in the fire that occurred on 9.15pm on Tuesday December 29 while the restaurant was full of hungry revellers out over the festive season. Seven units of the Kilkenny Fire Brigade finally brought the blaze under control.
Although investigations are continuing into the incident it is believed that the fire started in a fryer and, although it was successfully brought under control by staff with fire extinguishers, it then spread to an overhead canopy and went out of control.
Duggans Menswear next door, who are the owners of the building which was once the old Monster House, was also extensively damaged.
The fire brigade was on the scene within 10 minutes and staff quickly evacuated the restaurant. Residents of nearby apartments were also evacuated from their buildings while the fire was being brought under control.
Pat McDonagh, managing director of Supermac’s who was shocked at the extent of the damage to the building, explained that fast action taken by staff ensured nobody was in danger.
“Luckily the staff acted very quickly and, while some addressed the fire, others evacuated the building and alerted the fire brigade. We are very grateful to all who helped with the matter and as a result of an effective response nobody was hurt. We are still unsure about how the fire started but we know that a staff member was filtering the fryer when it caught fire. This wouldn’t normally happen and we are having the fryer analysed to see how it did occur on this occasion. The building itself is 150 years old and although it has a false ceiling, the roof itself is entirely made of wood and so when the fire caught it - it just went up. The premises is completely gutted now and it is terrible to see the damage that has been caused. But we are just thankful that nobody was injured.”
The clean up of the building has now begun and although the premises is well insured Mr McDonagh is unsure if the Supermac’s franchise will return to Kilkenny.
“Supermac’s has generally done well in Kilkenny but in recent years the rent on the building rose from €2.5k a week to €4k and this is simply too much to pay at this stage. Also our last franchise holder had to give it up because of restrictions on trading late at night imposed by the council. This cut his business drastically and so he had to abandon the franchise. We have been running the business ourselves in the last year or so. All this considered we will have to weigh up the costs associated with refitting the building and starting up the business once again and if the figures don’t stack up, we may not be in a position to do it.”
When asked if another Kilkenny location may be an option Mr McDonagh said, “I think there may be easier options in other towns.”
Although the future looks bleak for the business in Kilkenny, the decision will not be made until the costs of reinstating the business are calculated and analysed.
Kilkenny Borough Council brought a court injunction against Supermacs forcing them to close the business at 1.30am. Supermac’s believes that this was a huge factor in the loss of business experienced at the fast food facility in recent times.
Some of the staff are working at the restaurant for up to 15 years and Mr McDonagh praised the staff for their loyalty over the years. The staff are currently off work for the foreseeable future.
Meanwhile Mayor Malcolm Noonan while praising the work of the Kilkenny fire crew called on the owners of Supermac’s to rebuild it as soon as possible.
“ While the damage to the building is extensive, I hope that the owners of the restaurant will be in a position to rebuild it as soon as is practicable as it offers much needed employment in the city,” he said.
The building is currently being cleared and an assessment on the damage and costs associated with this will be examined by the company, which is based in Galway city.
