Famous Daves burnt down this morning

garyl62

Active member
Oh it will be re-built bigger and better now. Always nice to have the insurance company help you out with those expansion plans.

Interesting it went down right as muskie season is winding down. Should be ready to open by the 4th of July I bet.
 

firefighter1

Active member
That's too bad. My family and I have eaten there several times over the years when in the area for our summertime cabin stays.
 
D

Deleted member 10829

Guest
Love that place! That's too bad for all involved. :(

Can't wait to eat at the new place!
 

gary_in_neenah

Super Moderator
Staff member
Must've been their Hot Sauce! One of my favorite places for BBQ.

Original Famous Dave's destroyed by fire

HAYWARD, Wis. (AP) - The restaurant that launched the Famous Dave's barbecue chain has been destroyed by fire in northern Wisconsin.

Dave Anderson opened his first barbecue place on the shore of Round Lake in Hayward in 1994. The franchise has grown to more than 190 restaurants.

CEO for the Minnetonka-based restaurant franchise, Ed Rensi, says the general manager of the Hayward restaurant saw a piece of equipment on fire when he showed up for work early Monday and called 911. Rensi tells the Star Tribune (http://strib.mn/1s8gu4L ) it was a very old building that has been destroyed.

He says Famous Dave's will do everything it can to rebuild on the site.



Information from: Star Tribune, http://www.startribune.com
 

ezra

Well-known member
why is it when a building is obviously well beyond saving they continue to try to put it out?
let it burn so it is at lest a bit more ez to demo.
I did not know the original was in WI . I am next to the corporate headquarters at least 2 times a week in Minnetonka MN
 

garyl62

Active member
Don't get me wrong, I like Famous Dave's and have been to this location several times, it always makes me skeptical when I hear of restaurants burning down in the middle of the night. I read some of the reports and things the owners have said. While I could be reading into things it just makes me wonder when they say things like: less than 50% of their staff works the winter, they will re-open bigger and better, they will open a temporary location in one of their other buildings while they re-build.... Makes me think they already had a plan in place, after all the best 2 months to be closed is now, in that time they can open a temp location for the winter season, get plans finalized for the new building, then in early spring ramp up construction, work hard at completing things and still be able to salvage a portion of the summer business. Then they will end up with a new building that meets their needs today, not something that they started with 20 years ago and oh and by the way, someone else pays most of the bill and probably even covers their lost business income. The only thing that makes me think I'm off base is the fact that they are now a large corporation and not just a one or two site mom and pop shop. Too many people involved now to keep a plan like this quiet if it was intentional.
 

zltim

Member
Famous Daves site was a family run resort back in the 70's or older Called Richardson's Bay resort. It was owned by an airline pilot from I think Braniff Airlines out of MPLS. It was a popular watering hole back in the days of 50-75 miles a day sledding.

I think it burned down(don't quote me on this) and rebuilt as a basement bar and upper level dinning. I don't know what happened to that building but It must have been knocked down and the Famous Dave's built. We quit snowmobiling in the Hayward area when the sleds/riders could go further and changed our preferred riding area.

I am looking forward to the rebuilt restaurant and bar.
 

snobuilder

Well-known member
with a 190 stores i'm sure the insurance companies are still slightly ahead in the famaous daves restaurant insuring game.....LOL

calling it arson and crying for the ins. companies???...must be alot of insurance guys on this site....LOL


On a side note, "Dave" put around $40,000 in my pocket during 6 mos. as a worker on the Keylime Cove water park and hotel.....LOL
 
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