A fire just before sunrise Sunday has badly damaged a popular downtown Columbus restaurant.
Firefighters from Columbus Fire and Rescue responded to a call at 205 5th St. N., site of Zachary’s Restaurant, at 5:15 a.m., according to CFD Assistant Chief Duane Hughes.
“At 5:28, the fire was contained and at 5:45 the fire was out,” Hughes said. “Most of the damage was in the back part of the building and kitchen, but there was smoke damage throughout.”
Hughes said the cause of the fire had not been determined.
“We’re just starting the investigation now,” he said. “We won’t know the cause of the fire until we’ve finished that.”
Doug Pellum opened the restaurant across the street from the Lowndes County Courthouse and it quickly became a fixture in the community, not only for its food an laid-back ambiance but because of its connection to the community.
Pellum’s restaurant held scores of fund-raising events, most of them for area charities or citizens in need. Last year alone, Zachary’s raised more than $40,000 through fundraisers, also contributing more than $30,000 worth of in-kind services.
In February, the restaurant was awarded the Restaurant Neighbor Award from the National Restaurant Association Educational Foundation for the second year in a row. The award honors restaurants that go above and beyond in community service and philanthropy. It aims to inspire other restaurateurs to get or stay involved in their local communities.
Pellum arrived on the scene just as the CFD began its work, and stood watching as a trickle of friends gathered with him to provide comfort.
“I don’t know much,” Pellum said. “It started in the kitchen somewhere, it looks like. I don’t know how bad it is, but it looks like we’re going to be closed for quite a while.”
Slim Smith is a columnist and feature writer for The Dispatch. His email address is [email protected].
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