Margate’s Buoy and Oyster restaurant will be closed for at least the next week after a storeroom fire caused damage to the space underneath the restaurant.
The incident, in the early hours of Tuesday, July 16, means the restaurant has suffered a loss of electrics, plumbing and significant smoke damage.
Fire crews were called at 2:12am to a report of a fire at the High Street/Marine Drive restaurant. Two fire engines attended and crews wearing breathing apparatus extinguished a fire in the storeroom using a hose reel jet. A high pressure fan was used to clear the building of smoke.
There were no reported injuries and the fire is believed to be accidental and started in a tumble dryer.
In a message on social media Buoy and Oyster bosses Nadine and Simon Morriss say: “It pains us to say that the damage is much worse than we initially thought and we are going to have to close for a week minimum whilst we undergo essential building and maintenance work, reinstating the water and electrics and a total anti smoke/soot damage treatment and professional deep clean is necessary throughout the five storey premises due to the extent of the fire damage.
“As you can imagine this could not have happened at a worse time for us with the school holidays around the corner and we are truly gutted to be in this position after such an exciting start to the year.
“Customer safety and satisfaction is our priority and we will only open when we are certain we can provide the same high standard and quality that you have come to expect from us and that we expect from ourselves.”
Those with reservations have been contacted and the couple apologised to anyone they had not been in touch with and to those who they have had to disappoint.