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WAYNESVILLE — The Der Dutchman will not reopen following a fire last month that caused $1.5 million in damages.
Dutchman Hospitality Group, owner and operator of Der Dutchman Restaurant and Carlisle Gifts & Furniture in Waynesville announced late Friday their decision to permanently close Der Dutchman Restaurant in Waynesville.
As result of the decision to close the restaurant, Dutchman Hospitality will be closing Carlisle Gifts & Furniture, according to WHIO-TV, Channel 7 in Dayton. A store closing sale will begin on Dec. 6.
In the near future, Dutchman Hospitality will be offering the land and the gift shop for sale.
On Oct. 13, during the breakfast hours, fire broke out in the kitchen at the Der Dutchman Restaurant on N. U.S. 42. After employee attempts to control the fire failed, 60 firefighters from seven area stations were called to battle the blaze.
The fire was started by a faulty chicken roaster, causing $1.5 million in damages to the Der Dutchman kitchen last month. No one was injured in the blaze.
The rest of the restaurant was preserved by fire walls, although there was substantial smoke and water damage to the dining area, said Mike Palmer earlier this month as president of Dutchman Hospitality.
The Der Dutchman has operated as a restaurant — under a variety of names — since the early 1970s when it was originally called “1776.” It’s a family-style eatery that also sells baked goods and novelties in an adjacent store. The restaurant promoted southern-style cooking, such as fried chicken and baked pies and has a popular Saturday morning breakfast buffet.
In 1987, it was renamed Der Dutchler and then became Der Dutchman after it was purchased by Dutchman Hospitality in 1999.