Future uncertain for W. Rick’s Taproom and Grill after early Sunday morning fire
Watching her dad’s restaurant, W. Rick’s Taproom and Grill, go up in flames Sunday morning, Feb. 18, Tricia Christy said, was a sad sight, but she was grateful no one was injured in the early morning blaze.
According to Christy, who manages the restaurant, the building at 269 Meridian Road in the Meridian neighborhood of Butler Township may not be able to be saved.
“It’s a mess,” Christy said. “But we’ll figure it out as we go.”
She said Sunday no one had been in the building for more than an hour when the fire was reported at around 2 a.m.
“The building had been vacant for like an hour and a half. Nobody got hurt, that's what I was worried about,” Christy said.
Seven fire departments responded to the fire at around 2:09 a.m. Sunday, after a passerby reported seeing flames at the popular eatery. Christy said a family friend reported the fire.
Upon learning of the fire, Christy went to the restaurant in the early-morning hours to see W. Rick’s burning.
The front of the building sustained the most damaged in the blaze, with portions of the roof visibly caved in on Sunday morning. The patio at the back of the restaurant appeared unaffected.
Christy said the firefighters told her there is no known cause of the fire as of Sunday morning. She also said the building is being sealed up so no one can get inside.
“The restoration company is up there, putting boards on the windows,” Christy said. “The insurance adjusters will be there tomorrow.”
Christy said the fire damaged the building to such an extent the business could be unable to reopen. The building held a lot of memories for her, so seeing it damaged by fire has left her feeling a lot of uncertainty, she said.
A sale of the restaurant was being discussed, she said, but it is currently owned by her father, W. Rick Reiber.
Butler Township Volunteer Fire District, Connoquenessing Volunteer Fire Company, Penn Township Volunteer Fire Department, Unionville Volunteer Fire Company, Evans City Volunteer Fire Department, Butler Bureau of Fire and VA Butler Fire and Emergency Services responded to the scene, according to Butler County dispatch.
Dispatch also said Butler Township Volunteer Fire Department returned to the scene a little after 8 a.m. to address a rekindling at the restaurant.
