The Happy Rooster will be temporarily closed after a water main break, excessive steam, and fire
The blankets of steam are a “temporary issue,” said steam pipe operator Vicinity Energy.
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The Happy Rooster, a decades-old staple of Center City’s Sansom Street, will be temporarily closed because of a water main break and subsequent electrical fire, according to owner Debbie Jordan. Just how long that closure lasts is yet to be determined.
Jordan said she noticed an abnormal amount of steam coming from the street about 10 p.m. Sunday. By Tuesday morning, the steam had entered the restaurant.
“It made tons of condensation in our restaurant, causing us to have extreme condensation in the kitchen area and the first floor, then leading to a small electrical fire in the kitchen,” said Jordan, who had yet to start assessing the damage.
Firefighters were sent to 16th and Sansom Streets shortly after 9:45 a.m. Tuesday following reports of smoke, said a department spokesperson. The department found heavy steam coming out of a manhole cover. Crews later learned that there was a water main break.
The excess steam that blanketed the street had some passersby concerned, with some taking to social media to ask whether the problem came from part of the city’s 41 miles of pipes that deliver steam to dozens of buildings. According to WHYY, Philadelphia is one of several East Coast cities that delivers steam through a loop system.
A spokesperson for Vicinity Energy, the steam loop operator in Philadelphia, confirmed the water main break, and said it was monitoring the situation and working with the Philadelphia Water Department.
“We understand that the appearance of steam vapor has been a concern,” the spokesperson said in a statement. “This is a temporary issue caused by water contacting our steam pipe. Once the water main is repaired, these vapor-related issues will dissipate.”
A spokesperson for the Philadelphia Water Department could not immediately provide a comment, and it was not clear whether crews had identified the source of the break.
Known for its namesake juicy bacon burger with gruyere and borderline-kitschy poultry decor, the Happy Rooster emitted a smoky scent Tuesday afternoon as multiple water department crews drilled into opposite corners of 16th and Sansom Streets. White plumes of steam escaped an uncovered manhole as the afternoon rush made its way home.