Longway's Diner owners hope to rebuild after fire

Jonathon Wheeler, Watertown Daily Times, N.Y.
Updated ·2 min read

Jun. 17—WATERTOWN — Owners of Longway's Diner are hoping to rebuild after part of the building was damaged in an early Sunday morning fire.

Beverly A. and Leon Walts, co-owners of the restaurant, 23725 Route 342, were on scene when the fire broke out shortly after 6 a.m. Sunday.

"We tried to put it out in every way possible we could but it was just beyond what we could do," she said. "We did what we could do."

She said there is talk about "getting things going so we can open back up again," although the exact timetable to reopen is unclear.

Northpole Fire Chief Chris Hanlin was the first firefighter on scene. He said he saw heavy smoke from the rear of the building when he arrived.

No injuries were reported.

Hanlin said a grill cook fired up the grills and fryers and heard an electrical issue, which caught the grease on fire.

He said damage was confined to the kitchen and the storage room, though there was some heat damage to the dining area.

"I would venture to say it's structurally sound still, it's got all of its utilities still intact," he said. "I don't think it's a total loss."

The community is "rallying around the owners and the employees," Hanlin said.

Mr. and Mrs. Walts purchased the building in 2017, but Leon has been a manager at Longway's since 1992.

Mrs. Walts said they have been getting calls from the community offering help. She said employees are upset.

"We're trying to comfort them any way we can because we're a family here," she said. "We're trying to help each other out."

Around 20 people work for Longway's.

"We're grateful for the people that are checking in on us. We appreciate it because they are family too," she said. "Hopefully they'll hang in there with us and we can be back serving them."

Northpole Fire Department responded with mutual aid from Pamelia, Glen Park, Calcium, Evans Mills, Black River, and the City of Watertown fire departments along with the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, state police, Guilfoyle Ambulance and Evans Mills Ambulance.