Burger Factory burns

By: Gabrielle Giroday Posted: 3:15 PM CST Sunday, Feb. 15, 2009

Eva Argyriou grew up at her dad’s famous family restaurant, eventually taking over the legendary burger joint with her sister last fall. Then a devastating fire tore apart the family business Saturday night. Argyriou, who recently assumed ownership of the Burger Factory at 1600 Regent Ave. West, confirmed the blaze started after a grease spill in the restaurant’s kitchen around 11 p.m. Saturday.

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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 15/02/2009 (6304 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

Eva Argyriou grew up at her dad’s famous family restaurant, eventually taking over the legendary burger joint with her sister last fall.

Then a devastating fire tore apart the family business Saturday night.

Argyriou, who recently assumed ownership of the Burger Factory at 1600 Regent Ave. West, confirmed the blaze started after a grease spill in the restaurant’s kitchen around 11 p.m. Saturday.

“It was an accident. A bit of grease fell on the grill while my employee was cleaning the backsplash,” Argyriou said. “Nobody was injured, everybody’s fine, the family’s fine, the employees are fine.”

Damage is estimated at $600,000, said a fire official, including $250,000 to the Burger Factory and $350,000 smoke and water damage to adjacent businesses in the strip mall.

Argyriou, 30, who runs the restaurant with her sister Lina Machel, 33, said she wants to assure loyal customers of the restaurant it will be back in business at the same location.

“We will be up and running as soon as possible,” she said.
Her father George Argyriou started the Burger Factory at the Regent Avenue location about 30 years ago. The Regent restaurant is the last remaining location of the Burger Factory after a second restaurant at 1184 Portage Ave. West changed ownership last year and altered its name.

Argyriou said it was difficult to tell her father about the blaze. He is currently visiting another part of Manitoba.

A mostly sleepless night followed the fire, Argyriou said.

“Everybody is OK. That’s the only thing that matters.”

Some decades-old photos of her father hoisting boxes of burgers survived, she said.

The Burger factory owners consulted with an insurance adjuster Sunday morning. Damage was mostly to the restaurant’s kitchen, where fire officials said flames were shooting through the roof when they arrived.

“We don’t know when we’ll be reopening, but as soon as everything is cleaned up and ready to go, we’ll be back in business,” Argyriou said.

The restaurant is in a strip mall beside the Video Refit Shop and Rising Store Dance Academy.

gabrielle.giroday@freepress.mb.ca

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