Clean up efforts underway at fire-destroyed Dairy Winkle, owner vows to rebuild

CAMPBELLS CREEK, W.Va. — The owner of a popular Kanawha County restaurant that was destroyed in a fire last week says he plans to reopen in less than a year.

“It is our full intention to come back. We have a good bit of stuff to do, so I’m thinking six months, but we’re going to try to do better. It may take longer, but that’s our plan right now,” said Dairy Winkle owner Paco Ellison in a Facebook Live posted this week.

Clean up work at the Dairy Winkle in Campbells Creek started Tuesday. The restaurant was destroyed in a fire at around 10 a.m. on Jan. 11 and forced a brief closure of Campbells Creek Road.

The fire began in the kitchen area. No one was hurt.

Ellison said only two items survived the fire: his Weiner Man statue and his front door; however, that door was broken when someone stole the statue this week.

There’s now a growing reward of more than $1,000 to bring the statue back to the Dairy Winkle.

Ellison said the community support since the fire has been incredible. He said people from all walks of life have offered to help them get back on their feet.

“I’ve had calls from county commissioners, United States senators and literally hundreds of locals and non-locals,” he said.

Many Dairy Winkle employees have found temporary work for the time being. Ellison vowed to continue helping them during this time.

“They’ve all pretty much found jobs, so if they need help in the interim, we’re going to help them out,” he said.

Kanawha County emergency management officials previously credited the quick response of local firefighters to extinguish the blaze.