This sort of became buried in amid all the happenings and photos in yesterday’s post about the fire that destroyed the Rock Cafe in Stroud, Okla., but it bears repeating:
Owner Dawn Welch plans to rebuild the historic Route 66 restaurant.
According to the Daily Oklahoman:
“There’s no way I will let the Rock Cafe go down with a fire,” Welch told The Oklahoman on Wednesday, hours after watching her restaurant engulfed by flames. “This can’t be the end to the story.”
“This is my life,” said Welch, owner since 1993. “My children (Alexis, 11; and Paul, 7) have grown up there. This is what we do, but this is not the end of the Rock Cafe.”
Welch also told the Tulsa World:
Welch said she is working with her insurance company and is coming up with a plan to revive the restaurant. She said that process could take at least a year.
“It’s going to take moving mountains to be able to get that done,” she said.
The key is the namesake rock walls are still standing. Even though all that memorabilia inside is lost, much of the restaurant’s distinct appearance can be retained if it’s rebuilt, because of that stout foundation.
And plenty of historic businesses have rebuilt after devastating fires and retained their Mother Road flavor. Clanton’s Cafe in Vinita, Okla., and the Dixie Truckers Home in McLean, Ill., come to mind. Clanton’s was completely rebuilt after a fire in 1999 and continues to dish out some of Route 66’s best grub. The Dixie was destroyed by huge blaze in 1965, but it also rose from the ashes and still serves travelers decades later. There’s no reason to believe the Rock Cafe won’t do the same.
Is there anything readers can do to help? If Dawn is sure the insurance company will come through (I’m not holding my breath on that one from experience) then hopefully that will be enough. If there are any fund raising efforts I would like to be a part of helping in what ever way I can.
Hooray! What wonderful news! I was hoping, after reading yesterday’s story, that she would decide to rebuild, especially since the structure is all right.
Delightful news.
Also, ditto what Anthony said. None of my photography deals with Route 66 (yet, not having been able to make the trip) but I’d even be happy to donate a couple of prints for an auction or something.
RC apparently discontinued their web site. So how does one send support? If Dawn will ask (when she’s ready), I’m sure that many people will pitch in with donations of money, services, replacement memorabilia, etc. For what it’s worth, I started a Facebook group which anyone is welcome to join. https://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=13514029374
There’s a mechanism for doing a page to raise money for causes on FB, but I wouldn’t presume to do that without Dawn’s knowledge and participation.
Anyway, good to hear that there’s a firm commitment to rebuild. And thanks to Ron for the updates.
Here is a Web log that Ms. Welch has set up to keep everyone updated on the progress: https://rockcafert66.wordpress.com/
According to the Lincoln County News, January 22, 2009 edition, construction is finally underway after months of delay. Dawn Welch has contracated historic preservationist, David Burke of Perry, OK to oversee the project. Roof trusses were put in place January 19. The project is planned to be complete by the first anniversary of the fire that destroyed the building last May.
[Lincoln County News is the newspaper for Lincoln County, OK which is where Stroud is located.]