GRAND MARAIS, Minn. — Firefighters on Monday battled a destructive blaze at a downtown Grand Marais restaurant popular with seasonal visitors in the North Shore community.
Sydney’s Frozen Custard & Wood-Fired Pizza, at 14 Broadway Ave., caught fire at about 11:30 a.m. and the building was quickly engulfed, WTIP North Shore Community Radio reported.
The restaurant overlooks Lake Superior’s East Bay and is one of the last businesses before reaching Artist Point.
In a news release Monday afternoon, Cook County officials asked the public to stay away from the scene.
“There is an active structure fire in downtown Grand Marais. Residents are asked to stay clear of the area. This is an ongoing investigation. The smoke and gases from this fire are extremely dangerous. Please stay clear so our first responders have room to do their job and keep everyone safe,” the news release said.
The owner of Sydney’s could not immediately be reached by the Duluth News Tribune.
Red Pine Realty is next door to Sydney’s, and was likely spared fire damage, said owner and broker Mike Raymond, but he does expect some smoke damage.
Raymond, a pilot, told the News Tribune that he couldn’t get close to the scene, so he flew above it to take a look.
“The fire looks like it’s probably close to contained,” Raymond said just after 1 p.m. “Smoke’s down a bit, and a good portion of the lakeside part of the building would be burned out.”
Nina Simonowicz, owner of North Shore Visitor, told the News Tribune that she was driving into town when she saw the white smoke billowing from Artist Point.
She was reminded of the town’s other day-after-Easter fire. On April 13, 2020, a fire fueled by gusting wind destroyed Picnic & Pine, White Pine North and the Crooked Spoon Cafe.
“We have holes in our community,” Simonowicz said. “So I think it’s really sad because it’s a little more vibrancy that’s gone.”
Cook County resident Chuck Olsen said, “I have a good memory of meeting a friend at Sydney’s for delicious wood fire pizza during COVID, sitting on their upstairs deck overlooking Lake Superior and feeling the fresh breeze. Lovely people and good food, our community will sorely miss them, as will many tourists passing through.”
Pioneer Press staff writer Julio Ojeda-Zapata contributed to this report.
