Fire guts Coffee & Cream
Overnight fire severely damages popular N.S. breakfast diner; cause is under investigation
NORTH SMITHFIELD – An iconic breakfast restaurant on the Woonsocket and North Smithfield line was gutted by a three-alarm fire early Friday, but the owners say on social media that despite the damage, they will eventually be back serving coffee, eggs, and the usual favorites.
The blaze was reported at Coffee & Cream, 4 Greenville Road, at 3:13 Friday morning. A passerby noticed the flames and dialed 911.
North Smithfield Fire Chief Joel D. Jillson said that Coffee & Cream and the adjacent Beef Barn were both closed and unoccupied at the time the fire was reported. By the time fire personnel arrived on scene, the blaze was already in the “advance stages,” Jillson said.
“The fire was fought, although in the advance stages, it was fought internally. That’s an indication that the men got in, got to the root of the situation, and knocked it down,” the fire chief said. “Unfortunately, given how
long it had been burning, there’s much damage.”
As of Friday afternoon, the cause and origin of the fire was undetermined, but Jillson did not rule out the possibility that it may have been intentionally set.
The biggest challenge in battling the blaze, Jillson said, came from the restaurant’s “somewhat unique” construction, which led to access issues. He also said that the fire’s “advanced stages” and the fact that it appeared to have been burning for some time, made the fight challenging for firefighters.
Firefighters from North Smithfield, Woonsocket, Burrillville, Blackstone, Lincoln, Cumberland, and Smithfield battled the blaze for nearly two hours before it was deemed under control just before 5:30 Friday morning. In its aftermath, though, remains a mostly charred husk of the popular eatery.
The entire left side of the building, including the drivethrough window, was heavily damaged by the flames. Charred wood covers the exterior walls, while several holes were opened in the roof for ventilation. The iconic neon red and white “Coffee & Cream” sign on the roof is partially collapsed into a hole, while most of the glass windows are blown out.
In a post on the Coffee & Cream Facebook page at 6:03 a.m. Friday, the restaurant’s owners wrote that they received a “devastating phone call” just after 3 a.m. from the local fire department “informing us that our building was on fire.”
“We pulled in to watch the hard working men and woman fight to put out the fire and save what is left of Coffee and Cream,” the post reads. “We do not have all the details of how the fire started or the damage that is done inside. Unfortunately it doesn’t look we will be open anytime soon.”
“However we will not let this keep us down, we are a strong family supported by a strong community. We will be back before you know it serving your favorite breakfast foods very soon! Thank you for your love and support,” the post concludes.
The neighboring Beef Barn appears to have escaped largely unscathed, as Jillson said there’s only minimal smoke damage to the lunch and dinner destination.
No injuries to firefighters or civilians were reported, Jillson said. The chief also applauded the efforts of all fire personnel on scene, praising Fire Capt. Thomas Dybala, who was in charge of the scene and ran operations at the early-morning blaze.
The cause and origin of the fire remains under investigation with North Smithfield Police and Fire departments, the local Fire Marshal, the state Fire Marshal, and the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives.
Anyone with information on the cause or origin of Friday morning’s blaze is asked to dial the local Fire Marshal at 401-762-1135.