Fire destroys popular bar and restaurant, community rallies to show support
By Yazmin Rodriguez
Click here for updates on this story
SOUTH CONNELLSVILLE, Pennsylvania (WTAE) — Fox’s Tavern in South Connellsville, Fayette County, was destroyed by a fire, leaving the community in shock and prompting a local fundraiser to support the popular bar and restaurant.
“That’s my bar, and it had a big hole through the center of it. Everybody is very sad,” kitchen manager Lee Shroyer said.
The fire erupted shortly before 3 a.m. Thursday after neighbors heard a popping noise at Fox’s Tavern. The flames quickly spread.
“The fire was coming through the roof. It was only about a hole that big. And then, in, like, five minutes, it was like probably about 10 feet across,” said Jesse Driscoll, who lives directly behind the restaurant.
“The firefighters, they’re locals, they come here all the time. They were crying because, you know, you go to these places every day or every weekend, and you probably don’t realize how much it becomes a part of your life until it’s gone,” Driscoll said.
In response, the local owner of Coffee at Crawford is stepping in to help.
“We decided at the coffee shop that we wanted to do something for the Fox family, and we came to the agreement that it would be best if we did a basket fundraiser,” owner Susanna Flesik said. “This was me saying, ‘OK, what can I do that wouldn’t be just me sitting around and praying for the family?'”
The fundraiser idea quickly gained traction.
“Immediately, everybody was like, ‘I’ll donate, I’ll do a basket, I’ll do a gift certificate, where do you want me to bring it?’ And so, it just kind of snowballed,” Flesik said.
Starting Wednesday, April 1, the baskets will be on display at the coffee shop for community members to bid on.
Winners will be announced the following week at the coffee shop and on Facebook Live, with all proceeds going toward Fox’s Tavern.
“I’ve seen us rally. I’ve seen businesses and just individual people rally around this community, and I really knew that if somebody started something that everybody would rally around his family,” Flesik said.
The cause of the fire remains unknown, and the state fire marshal is investigating.
Please note: This story was provided to CNN Wire by an affiliate and does not contain original CNN reporting. This content carries a strict local market embargo. If you share the same market as the contributor of this article, you may not use it on any platform.