Blaze claims Augie’s Restaurant
Building a total loss; owner plans to rebuild
BALLSTON SPA — Augie’s Restaurant caught fire in the predawn hours of Monday. Demolition crews were ripping down the remains of the building by 10 a.m.
Firefighters arrived on the scene of the blaze at the popular Italian eatery, 183 Church Ave. ( Route 50) at about 4:30 a.m., and volunteers continued to pour water in through the roof to quell smoldering throughout the early morning. The stretch of Route 50 that connects Route 67 was closed for several hours.
No one was injured in the fire, but fire officials said the structure was a total loss and the unsafe structure needed to come down immediately. State and county fire investigators were on the scene.
Owner Augie Vitiello promises to rebuild quickly. At the scene, Vitiello talked about finding a temporary location.
He said he was alerted to the fire by a telephone call from a friend shortly after the fire broke out and rushed from his home 15 minutes away.
“I shot down here real quick and saw the mayhem and the structure of the building, and I was a little taken aback,” said Vitiello, as he watched firefighters wet down hot spots of the smoking building. “But you know, you look at it and you see these great guys going in there and trying to fight the fire, and you say, ‘ They’re doing what they have to do.’”
Vitiello said fire officials believe the blaze began in the basement, where dry goods and other items are stored, but they do not yet know what caused it. An electrical panel is also in the basement.
A manager closed the restaurant at 11 p.m. Sunday, Vitiello said, and indicated nothing was amiss. An employee at the Stewart’s Shop across the street saw the smoke coming from the building and called emergency dispatchers.
Vitiello said he was humbled by the initial outpouring of support from the community. He expressed concern for the handful of employees who rely on the restaurant for their livelihoods.
“You know what? We’ll be back,” Vitiello said. “We’re going to rebuild this place and feed people again. It’s what we do. Thank God that no one was hurt, and everyone will walk away and come back to fight another day.”
Ballston Supervisor Patricia Southworth was at the scene, lending a hand or ear where it was
needed. Southworth said the extent to which the community showed its support was inspiring. A nearby McDonald’s restaurant sent over breakfast sandwiches and coffee as firefighting wound down.
Among the responding agencies were Eagle-Matt Lee Fire Company, Malta Ridge Volunteer Fire Company, Round Lake Fire Department and Saratoga County Fire Services.
The dozens of volunteer firefighters who had to miss work to battle the blaze, Southworth said, and their employers who understood why they couldn’t be at work that morning, proved how much they care about the town.
The popular restaurant is known for its large, family- style dishes and has been operating for nine years.
The late Ed Snyder Sr. built the bar and restaurant in 1945 with $ 12,000 he borrowed from a family member. Snyder and his wife, Francis, worked at the local tannery and their bar to make ends meet. Snyder’s son, Ed Snyder Jr., said the establishment quickly became popular with locals.
His father was able to pay off the loan, and his parents were able to quit their factory jobs to concentrate on the restaurant and bar. Eventually, Snyder bought surrounding properties and built homes on them.
“It’s sad to see this history go up in flames,” Snyder Jr. said.