OTIS, Ore. — The Otis Cafe, a well-known landmark and beloved restaurant in the small community of Otis near Lincoln City, was damaged by a fire Thursday.
Visitors to the central Oregon coast have frequented the historic cafe for decades; it was even reviewed by The New York Times in 1989. The Statesman Journal reports that the Otis Cafe was established in the 1920s and has often had "lines out the door on summer weekends."
"The cafe is a family-run place that must pack more calories per square inch than any restaurant in the Northwest," Bryan Miller of The New York Times wrote in the 1989 review. "Oregonians flock there for the thick-crusted molasses whole-wheat bread, buttermilk waffles, and sourdough pancakes under a glacier of butter."
Historic Otis Cafe damaged by fire
Thursday's fire started in the back of the building in the kitchen area at around 7:45 p.m. There was heavy smoke surrounding the building and flames were seen from the eaves and chimney, North Lincoln Fire & Rescue district captain Jim Kusz said in a release.
Firefighters were able to extinguish the blaze in about half an hour. Even though the fire was contained to the kitchen area and attic of the small building, there is extensive damage throughout the building caused by the smoke and heat, fire officials report.
Kusz told KGW that the building will be "out of commission for a while." The community is devastated by the fire, Kusz said, and is looking for ways to help get it back up and running as soon as possible.
Gary Fromm owns Otis, which is an unincorporated community in Lincoln County. He said the cafe is a big part of the community's more than century-long history and will remain a big part of its future.
“We need to bring it back. Otis Cafe will survive," Fromm said. "It will come out of the ashes and it might be better than it was before.”
The owner of the cafe, Jeff England, said he's been overwhelmed by the community support and hopes to rebuild.
"We've served good food for a long time and have become known for it," he said. "It's a special place in many ways."
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, though foul play is not suspected. Investigators from the Lincoln County Fire Investigation Team and the Oregon State Fire Marshal's Office were looking through the scene Friday to determine what started the fire.