Restaurant fire still a mystery

By Mary Garrison
Tribune-Courier Reporter
mgarrison@tribunecourier.com

GRAND RIVERS – Just a few short weeks after fire claimed Patti’s Iron Kettle restaurant in Grand Rivers, clean-up efforts are already virtually complete.

“They haven’t been able to determine the cause of the fire,” said Michael Tullar, Iron Kettle and Patti’s 1880’s Settlement co-owner. “Things are still up in the air with the insurance companies.”

The blaze has been reported to have begun in the ceiling above the kitchen and appears to have been electrical, though the specific cause remains unknown.

Together with his brother Chip, Tullar has been in ownership of the Iron Kettle since the family purchased the establishment approximately 10 years ago. The building, however, has been a staple in the small communityof Grand Rivers for far longer.

The building was a part of the town’s Boston Block, and some parts date back to the 1800s.

Reports indicate that the family intends to rebuild, however, Tullar said until they are certain of the entire insurance and reconstruction settlement, specific plans cannot be outlined.

“The only thing we know for absolute certainty is that it’s too late in the season to start rebuilding now,” Tullar said.

In every cloud there is a silver lining, however. At the time of the fire, neither the Iron Kettle nor Patti’s Settlement were fully staffed for the upcoming busy season.

“We had about 30 people on staff at the Kettle when it burned,” Tullar said. “We’ve managed to place all of them throughout Patti’s for work.”

The little town of Grand Rivers and the Tullar family have still suffered a loss, however. Aside from the historical aspect and laid-back Sunday brunch atmosphere already sorely missed by visitors, the family lost a number items collected throughout the years.

“Several of [Miss Patti’s] quilts were in there at the time,” Tullar said. “We had a lot of family antiques, as well.”

However, Tullar said the most difficult loss comes in their relationship with the customers.

“The comraderie we’ve built with the people who came there is the hardest thing to lose,” Tullar said. “The people who frequented the restaurant — that’s what we miss the most.”