Early-morning fire quickly destroys Poulsbo restaurant

POULSBO — A popular restaurant in this Kitsap County community burned to the ground early Tuesday in a quick-spreading fire.

No one was inside Mitzel's American Kitchen at the time of the blaze, and there were no injuries.

But the building had been a popular gathering spot and a local landmark for 20 years at the corner of busy Highway 305 and the Poulsbo Village shopping-mall entrance.

The cause of the fire was under investigation.

Firefighters got the initial call at about 2 a.m., about four hours after the business had closed for the night.

When they arrived a minute or two later — the fire station is just across the road — flames had already reached the roof of the building.

Fire crews entered the building but quickly retreated to fight the fire from outside because the blaze spread so quickly.

The building had no sprinklers or alarm system, Poulsbo Fire spokeswoman Kristi Wlodarchak said.

Marsha Rayburn, who worked at the restaurant for 17 years and was its general manager, said she had seen the children of regular customers grow up to become employees, and saw a couple meet on a blind date and then return each year for their anniversary.

"A lot of them aren't gonna quite know what to do with themselves," she told the Kitsap Sun.

Mitzel's management told the Sun it was too soon to speculate whether the building would be rebuilt. A damage estimate was not immediately available.

The restaurant had about 35 employees. It's part of a five-store chain with restaurants in Fife, Kent, Oak Harbor and South Everett.

The Mitzel's chain is owned by Elmer's Restaurants based in Portland.