Seabeck Pizza in Chico will rise from the ashes

At the moment, Seabeck Pizza in Chico looks a bit like a pizza left in the oven too long.

But that will hopefully change.

“The store is going to be rebuilt by the owner of the property,” said Nick Reynolds, who, with wife, Joleen, own two other branches of the small chain, one in Port Orchard and another in Belfair. “He was there the day of the fire.”

Nearly destroyed in an electrical fire Monday, May 20, the small shop is tentatively planned to be rebuilt and reopened, if possible. For now, the Seabeck branch will take over Chico’s territory in delivering pizzas, and the two employees at the Chico branch are working at other branches.

Jeremy Anderson owns Seabeck Pizza branches in Seabeck and Brinnon, and Reynolds owns the branches in Chico, Port orchard and Belfair.

Calls to the Chico branch are being automatically re-routed to Seabeck for those who want delivery. Usually, the pizza chain doesn’t deliver further than eight miles from a branch.

The Chico branch went up in flames just after 5 p.m. The back storage room was completely destroyed and is no longer standing. The roof over the small dining area is gone. The kitchen is left, but the ovens may be too badly damaged to save.

Manager John Hunter, who’s worked at the branch since it opened two years ago, said on the day of the fire that he and his assistant, Jeff Jensen, heard something fall over in the back, and when they investigated, they were confronted by a wall of smoke.

He and the assistant were the only ones in the building at the time. After using fire extinguishers, they were driven out by the smoke — but not before calling 911.

Fire officials rated it a one-alarm fire. Jackson Park Fire Department arrived on scene first at 3523 Chico Way N.W., near the corner with Erlands Point Road. District 12 also responded.

“There’s no cost estimate yet on rebuilding,” said Nick Reynolds.

The property owner, Steve Hudson of CK, said it might take a couple of months, according to Reynolds, who added that permits would be needed plus a lot of clean-up.