‘We’ll be back soon,’ owner of downtown State College Waffle Shop says after fire

The owner of one of State College’s most beloved breakfast restaurants said he hopes to reopen quickly after a Tuesday night fire.

Firefighters were dispatched to The Waffle Shop on East College Avenue Tuesday night after a student saw the smoke from a dorm window across the street and called authorities. Owner Duane Reese said Wednesday that the damage was minimal and the restaurant aims to reopen as quickly as possible. A chemical reaction between used cleaning rags started the fire, Reese said.

“The water damage is already taken care of, it was just water on the floor area,” Reese said. “So now it is just smoke mitigation and proper cleaning that will keep us from reopening.”

Neighboring business The Family Clothesline also had minimal smoke damage from a shared vent, but according to Reese, the owners do not believe there was significant damage or loss.

Several local business owners reached out to Reese following the fire to offer condolences and support, including the owners of Champs Sports Grill, Cafe 210 and The Corner Room, said Reese, who expressed gratitude for the State College community as well as the student who first reported the fire and the fire crew’s rapid response.

“The fact that it was handled so quickly and effectively was just amazing,” Reese said. “And I’m grateful and relieved.”

Although The Waffle Shop will likely be closed for Penn State’s Homecoming weekend game against UMass, Reese hopes to be up and running again as soon as possible.

“We were excited to enjoy this football weekend but we’ll be back soon,” he said.