Historic BBQ restaurant in SC closed until further notice after fire destroys distribution center

WEST COLUMBIA. S.C. — An historic South Carolina BBQ restaurant will close all of its locations until further notice after a fire destroyed its distribution center. The owners say they have an “unbelievable mountain to climb” as they look to rebuild.

The fire broke at Maurice’s Piggie Park’s distribution center in Columbia late Saturday night.

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The fire spared the main restaurant and its iconic BBQ sign, but it destroyed the restaurant’s plant that provides the meat, side dishes and sauces for all eight locations.

“It is heartbreaking to see these 69 years of hard work and generations of memories at this location burned to the ground,” the owners wrote on Facebook.

No employees or firefighters were hurt. All Maurice’s Piggie Park locations closed on Monday. The owners don’t know when they will reopen.

“For anyone who knows our family, knows we won’t give up and will work endlessly to do what we need to do to continue the BBQ legacy and support our 150 employees and community we love dearly,” they said.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation.

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