Currence Grateful Boure’ Fire Wasn’t as Bad as it Could Have Been

By Alyssa Schnugg

News editor

alyssa.schnugg@hottytoddy.com

Chef John Currence, the owner of City Grocery Restaurant Group, has had good days and bad days as a chef and business owner.

Today wasn’t one of his best days. One of his restaurants, Boure’ suffered heavy damage after a fire early Thursday morning.

However, he said it could have been “so much worse.”

“This is a scraped knee of building fires,” he told Hotty Toddy News Friday afternoon.

Currence said it appears the fire started in a moving trash bin and then caught a nearby dirty linen bin on fire before making its way to the gas meter that spit gas out and up.

“It could have been so much more tragic,” he said.

No one was at the restaurant when the fire began so no injuries occurred.

Currence said they are still assessing the damage from the fire.

“We don’t know how much damage was done to the HVAC system on the roof or the compressors for the refrigerator,” he said.

The restaurant is closed for now; however, Currence said he hopes it won’t remain closed for too long.

“I’m hoping it could be 10 days to two weeks,” he said. “But we’ll have to see after we know what we’re looking at.”

In the meantime, Currence said the outpouring of affection and concern from the Oxford community has helped him get through the day.

“It’s nice to know how much you’re loved,” he said.