Ogunquit restaurant hopes to rebuild after business destroyed by fire

OGUNQUIT (WGME) – Two staple businesses in Ogunquit were severely damaged by a fire this weekend, and now the owners are left trying to pick up the pieces.

Oarweed Restaurant in Ogunquit had stood in the same place since 1963.

“Everyone being healthy is wonderful, and everyone being here is so, so, so important, but this is, this is, this is the worst,” Oarweed Restaurant Co-Owner Jeffrey Fitzgerald said.

Fitzgerald says he’s still processing what happened.

He says firefighters from Ogunquit, Kennebunk and Wells did everything they could to save the restaurant.

One of his co-owners, Jon McKenney, is also a fireman himself.

“He suited up, and he was in there saving his own restaurant, which is insanely wonderful,” McKenney said.

The same fire also destroyed Uniques and Antiques, a shop next door that has been selling holiday goods for more than a decade.

Fitzgerald says these two businesses were a staple in the area and for tourists.

“It’s so hard for me to keep myself together and not fall apart, because everyone wants to tell you why they love the Oarweed so much,” Fitzgerald said.

One of those people, Walter Fortier, lives up the street.

He wants to see them rebuild.

“I have hope that they will,” Fortier said. “I do believe. So that will at least ease the pain a little bit, seeing something come out of the ashes.”

So far, Fitzgerald was able to salvage a few paintings, though it’s unclear if any other items will make it.

Many pieces inside were either burnt or drenched in water from fire hoses.

He says they’ll rebuild but don’t have a timeline just yet.

“We will be back,” Fitzgerald said. “We will be back and shine in the summer sun. We will be back.”

Fitzgerald wants to thank his co-owners McKenney, Eric Young, Steve Cousens and Michael Young for their relentless work and help getting through this difficult time. He also wants to thank the Littlefield family, who helped build the foundation of the restaurant.