Popular Rock Hill market gutted by weekend kitchen fire. Here’s what we know
Surefire Neighborhood Market remained closed Monday after a weekend fire gutted much of it.
Surefire posted on its Facebook page Sunday morning that neighbors and authorities alerted them the building was on fire earlier that day. A fire broke out in the kitchen shortly after staff had left, and no one was in the store at the time, according to the post.
Surefire’s market is open daily, but the kitchen is closed on Sundays.
Staff is waiting on details of the incident from a claims adjuster but the fire appeared to start in the kitchen, Surefire CEO Magloire Lubika said in an email to The Herald on Monday.
“While we don’t have a clear timeline for reopening the Sunset Park location, we are committed to rebuilding and making it even better to support the community’s food access needs,” Lubika said.
A little after noon Monday, the smell of smoke was still noticeable from the small parking lot at the corner of Ogden and Friedheim roads, in the Sunset Park community just west of downtown.
Burst glass lay on the floor inside and ground just outside the storefront windows. Surefire was locked and empty when a vendor stopped by, but left after learning of the fire.
About Surefire Neighborhood Market
The growing Rock Hill restaurant and store has been a staple in the Sunset Park community for decades, but has grown in popularity outside that neighborhood the past couple of years.
County land records show the 1,000-square-foot space was built in 1980.
In the fall of 2021 the store announced its sign would come down and a mural go up, as the site transitioned from a mini mart convenience store to a neighborhood market. Healthier foods like produce and packaged meals would expand on the snack options.
Surefire then introduced a line of hot dogs that quickly took off on online food pages in the city. The kitchen swapped out personal pizzas for chicken sandwiches. The menu grew to include salads, wings, chicken tenders, sides and desserts.
The most recent change was a partnership with Slow Play Brewing announced last month. Surefire joined as the on-site food truck for Slow Play, bringing its full menu while still maintaining its Sunset Park location.
In Sunday’s post about the fire, Surefire asked for thoughts and prayers as staff determined what comes next for the neighborhood market. The mobile setup at Slow Play will remain, it said.
The Surefire website has a link for donations for anyone who wants to help with rebuilding efforts, according to the post.
This story was originally published July 15, 2024 at 4:28 PM.
