by Jessica Hughes
Out front, the day after the fire. Photo provided by Scott Boyd
Local Denver restaurant, The Rotary, first opened its doors in January 2021, at the corner of Holly Street and Cedar in the Hilltop neighborhood. They opened during the pandemic, and now, almost exactly a year later, are recovering from the Marshall Fire that recently scorched parts of Boulder County.
The Rotary’s second location in Louisville opened on December 15, 2021. But two weeks after opening, the wind-fueled Marshall Fire ignited on December 30, quickly ripped through the towns of Louisville and Superior, destroying nearly 900 homes in the short time of six hours.
Scott Boyd, a Louisville resident and co-owner of The Rotary, remembers that day looking out the window of his home as he headed to work at the restaurant. The first thing he noticed was a bunch of smoke and wind. When he arrived at work, there was even more smoke and the same wind intensity, plus ash inside the restaurant. Soon, the smoke and wind became bad enough that he decided to close for the day and sent everyone home.
As he was shutting down the restaurant, Scott peered across the parking lot in amazement as nearby bushes rose in flames
Fire damage seen from the backside of the restaurant. Photo provided by Scott Boyd
and watched as the fire quickly advanced toward his restaurant. Locking the door behind him, he fled and went home to grab his wife, kids, and pets.
Boyd and his family evacuated to a friend’s house in nearby Niwot, where they watched the destruction of the restaurant through the surveillance cameras. “It was so surreal,” says Boyd. “To watch in real-time as the flames tore through the restaurant.” But as he watched with his wife, kids, and friends, he knew he wasn’t alone in this. “It was nice to know I had support.”
Fortunately, Scott’s home was not one of the ones destroyed. He says he feels fortunate to only have lost a business and not his family’s home and belongings.
“Now begins the challenge of rebuilding,” Boyd says as he describes the mess that was left after the fire. Between the fire sprinklers that soaked everything and then the snowstorm that followed the next day, freezing almost everything, including pipes, there are many factors to consider in terms of the damage. The process to rebuild will take some time with COVID and current supply chain issues, but nonetheless, they do plan to rebuild in Louisville.
Boyd says so many people have reached out to see how they can help, but he says, “Find a family that lost everything and give them the help. We’ll be fine.”
The Rotary was started by Scott, his
Inside The Rotary before the Marshall Fire. Photo provided by Scott Boyd
brother Brian, and their life-long friend Don Gragg, a celebrated chef. What began with a space inside the Avanti Food and Beverage in Denver, quickly required its own space as the COVID pandemic made it hard to sustain a seat at the table inside a food hall.
Eventually opening a standalone establishment in Denver’s Hilltop Neighborhood, the three owners saw their life-long dream of owning and operating a restaurant realized, all in the middle of a pandemic. What was a real hustle to stay afloat during 2021, they knew they had something special and forged on. “We’re like the little restaurant that could,” Boyd chuckles.
“We’ll come out stronger on the other side of this,” says Boyd, who feels the community has done an excellent job of coming together with donations and volunteering to help clean up the affected areas.
You can help Boyd and others affected by the Marshall Fire by donating at:www.commfound.org/grants/get-grant/Boulder-County-Wildfire-Fund.