Fire destroys Cherry Hill restaurants

A stubborn early-morning fire that smoldered for at least six hours yesterday demolished two popular restaurants across from the former Garden State Park racetrack, now a developing Cherry Hill shopping hub.

The blaze started inside Chili's Grill & Bar at 6:06 a.m. and quickly progressed to the adjoining Porterhouse Steaks & Seafood restaurant on busy Route 70 at Haddonfield Road. Six hours later, the fire was still sending out billowing clouds of black smoke and random flames as traffic at the intersection piled up. No injuries were reported.

Battalion Chief Bill Stallfort said the two-alarm fire was difficult to control because the roof had collapsed, trapping the flames in areas the 50 firefighters on the scene couldn't reach.

"We started to make an interior attack, but the fire was too hard and fast and we could not make much progress. We had to pull everyone out," said Stallfort.

Firefighters then trained aerial wide-stream hoses onto the roof area and called in a demolition crew to remove debris so they could reach hidden hot spots.

Stallfort said the cause was still under investigation.

No one was inside when the fire erupted hours after the last employees left, around 2 a.m., said Joe Olin, vice president of operations for Quality Dining. The franchise owns the two restaurants and 19 other Chili's in the region, including one opening today in Chester County.

"The most important thing is no one got hurt," Olin said, as he watched from across the street. Olin said the Cherry Hill Chili's opened about 10 years ago, followed five years later by the more upscale Porterhouse restaurant, also part of the chain. The eateries are on the site of the former Greenbrier restaurant, which had been a landmark for decades at the former Racetrack Circle.

Olin said the franchise would rebuild the restaurants, especially since they are located in a bustling area across from the newly opened shopping plaza at the old Garden State Park site. The restaurants seat 370 patrons and have 125 employees.

"This is very upsetting to us," said Chris Plute, executive general manager of the two restaurants. "A lot of the staff came to the fire and were visibly upset. Some were crying."

Kay Schetter, 76, of Cherry Hill, was shocked at the sight. "It's devastating. It's overwhelming. I've never seen a fire of this magnitude," said Schetter, who said she occasionally had dined at Chili's.

Jim Hershberger, an official with Cherry Hill Photo Enterprises, located next to the restaurants, said he was called to the scene soon after the blaze started. "We saw flames flying high out of the roof," he said. "They were eight to 10 feet high. It's a shame - we used to eat there all the time."