A mobile kitchen has been set up at the site of the Cassidy Country Kitchen, as the owners work towards re-opening the restaurant by the spring.
A faulty cappuccino machine was the cause of the fire that destroyed the entire building at 2930 Trans-Canada Highway on May 28, a case that Const. Gary O’Brien of the Nanaimo RCMP described as “non-suspicious.”
This was not a case of arson.
“Our plan is to rebuild,” said owner Kristina Stauffer. “The demolition has started and the current building is pretty much gone. We are moving forward as quickly as we can.”
Stauffer now has to go about applying to the Regional District of Nanaimo (RDN) for a new building permit, and she says the RDN has been “very cooperative and respectful.”
Stauffer herself has lived in the vicinity of Cassidy all her life, after growing up in Cedar and attending high school in Ladysmith.
“Our original thoughts were we would open up again in six months,” she said. “The way things are going, it’s looking more likely we will open up in the late winter, early spring.”
According to Stauffer, continuing to look on the bright side is key in moving forward.
“It was devastating; I’ve never been through a fire before,” she said. “I’m staying positive and hopeful as we move forward, that’s been the only thing that is keeping me going. I’ve wanted to own the building since I was a teenager.”
Stauffer first became the owner in November of last year and as of this past Sunday, she has opened up a mobile kitchen close to the site to keep things ticking over.
The Cassidy Country Kitchen Wagon is open from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. all week.
Further updates and details can also be found on the Cassidy Country Kitchen Facebook page.
