STANLY COUNTY, N.C. — A beloved seafood restaurant that's been a staple in Stanly County for decades was badly damaged by a multi-alarm fire Wednesday.
Multiple agencies responded to a fire at Jay's Seafood on Stony Gap Road in Albemarle around 8:30 a.m. Wednesday. Midland Fire & Rescue said crews from Cabarrus, Montgomery and Stanly counties were called to the scene.
When firefighters arrived, they saw smoke and flames coming from the roof of the building. David Bradshaw, a spokesperson for the Midland Fire Department Spokesperson, said it took three hours to fight the fire.
“There were at least three roofs on the building, so that gives the fire a lot of opportunity to hide and get to and hard to extinguish," Bradshaw said.
The restaurant is in a rural area, which also presented a challenge to firefighters due to there being no fire hydrants nearby. Bradshaw said it took several thousand gallons of water to get the flames under control.
For four generations, Jay's Seafood has been the Stallings family's livelihood.
“I was hoping it wasn’t true," Samuel Stallings said. “It means a lot because I grew up with it my whole life.”
Many people raved about the seafood buffet at the restaurant, which has been a community staple since the 1960s.
“It’s always been family," Ned Stallings said.
“Everybody knows it in the county, and everyone’s been here at least once,” Dave Andrews, a radio host in Stanly County, said.
There's now hope that the Stanly County icon will bounce back.
"It was real sad, and tragic," John Stallings, one of the owners, said. "We'll come to terms with it, we're going to fix everything and we're going to open back up as soon as possible."
No one was hurt in the fire and it hasn't been determined what caused the fire as an investigation is still underway.
Contact Lexi Wilson at lwilson@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.
WCNC Charlotte is committed to reporting on the many issues facing the communities we serve. We tell the stories of people working to solve persistent social problems. We examine how problems can be solved or addressed to improve the quality of life and make a positive difference. WCNC Charlotte is seeking solutions for you. Send your tips or questions to newstips@wcnc.com.
WCNC Charlotte To Go is a daily news and weather podcast you can listen to so you can start your day with the team at WCNC Charlotte.
SUBSCRIBE: Apple Podcasts || Spotify || Pandora || TuneIn || Google Podcasts || iHeart
All of WCNC Charlotte's podcasts are free and available for both streaming and download. You can listen now on Android, iPhone, Amazon, and other internet-connected devices. Join us from North Carolina, South Carolina, or on the go anywhere.