A fire at Tallboys in St. Claude on July 25 has left the popular local business working hard to recover.
Manager Madison Major says the blaze started in an electrical room at the northwest corner of the building and spread to the roof, causing major heat damage to the restaurant, lounge, and kitchen, as well as smoke damage throughout the property.
Convenience store reopens quickly
Despite the extensive damage, parts of Tallboys are already back in operation.
“After assessing the initial damage, we were hopeful that the fuel pumps, and the convenience store were salvageable enough to get up and running right away," explained Major. "By July 29th, we were able to restore power and get the fuel pumps operational. They accomplished that in the first week, so that we could open that portion of the building by August 1st.”
The restaurant, lounge, and kitchen sections have been completely gutted, with roof repairs planned to begin in the coming weeks.
While a reopening date has not yet been set, Major adds that updates are shared regularly on the company’s social media pages.
Ongoing services and community support
Even amid the rebuild, Tallboys continues to offer several services.
Major remarks, “Our fuel pumps are operational. The convenience store is open. We have portable washrooms on site. The car wash and motel rooms are fully functional."
The fire prompted an outpouring of support from the community.
Major mentions, “We've received an immense amount of support from our community and the surrounding areas, especially during the first couple of weeks. Local companies were on site within hours of the fire to help close up the roof and make a plan to get power restored. We're super grateful for the local fire department and also the St. Claude Arena for giving us an alternative kitchen to work out of until we are open again.”
Fuel remains top priority
The loss of fuel services posed the biggest challenge for the community.
Major notes, “We do offer fuel and customers do have to travel quite a distance without it here. That was the biggest hit that our community took, which is why it was our main goal to get that operational again.”
Major also gives credit to the staff for keeping operations moving.
She continues, “I would just say a shout out to our team at Tall Boys. Without the staff that we have, it would not have been possible to be moving at the pace we are, and we're just really thankful for them.”
With a combination of quick action, dedicated staff, and strong community support, Tallboys is steadily moving toward reopening its full services and continuing its role as a key hub in St. Claude.
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