Fire May Close Bourbon BBQ for Up to 9 Months

A fire at Bourbon BBQ over the weekend may shutter the restaurant for six to nine months, one of the owners said Monday.

However, the owners are looking into the possibility of getting clearance from the township to erect a temporary concession stand of sorts to continue to serve their customers.

"We're thinking outside the box on how to keep customers happy," said Mike Feygin, who owns the Goffle Road eatery with his wife, Helen.

The Wyckoff Fire Department responded to the restaurant, which opened in 2007, at approximately 2 a.m. Sunday after receiving 911 calls reporting smoke coming from the one-story building.

Chief David Murphy said responding crews were able to knock down the fire in about a half-hour, with the assistance of the Hawthorne Fire Department.

The blaze, which Murphy said was accidental, appeared to originate with one of the restaurant's smokers and was contained to the kitchen area. However, smoke damage took its toll.

"There was a significant charring of beams," Murphy said.

Mike Feygin said the smoke damage will contribute to extensive restoration efforts. He said he's been advised that essentially everything in the interior will have to be replaced, from furniture to plaques on the wall.

"You can't get the smell out," he said.

Feygin isn't sure exactly how the fire could have started, especially given that it takes five minutes in the morning with a blowtorch to even get the smoker to start smoldering. Going forward, he and his wife will "need to find out exactly what happened" to prevent an incident from occurring again.

In the meantime, the Feygins just have to wait. Mike Feygin, a computer engineer, said he's hopeful his insurance will quickly agree to a claim once all official reports are completed. Murphy said the Bergen County Arson Squad, as a matter of course, was also on scene over the weekend to review the incident.

The fire also effectively shuttered the Feygins' other food business, Silver Oak catering. Bourbon BBQ's kitchen was essential toward filling customers orders. While he said he has enough kitchen space in his home to fill orders, it may be too onerous to get the necessary approvals to run such a business out of his home.

Making matters worse, the Sunday fire came at the "worst time for us."

The spring and summer is the Feygins' busy season. Mike Feygin noted that a six- to nine-month window would re-open the business just as it traditionally slows during the winter months.

However, it could have been even worse. Given the late hour, no one was at the business at the time, and there were no injuries or exposure to other nearby structures.

"We're thankful nobody got hurt," Feygin said.

Customers can keep track of the Feygins' progress at their Web site, http://bourbonbbq.com/index.html, or on the business' Facebook page at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Wyckoff-NJ/BOURBON-BBQ/11109428621?ref=search&sid=1051422448.1337131023..1.

Ultimately, the Board of Health and township fire inspector will have to inspect the property before the Feygins can re-open, Murphy said.