'We'll be back:' Popular Prattville restaurant Uncle Mick's to rebuild after fire
PRATTVILLE — Uncle Mick's Cajun Cafe will rebuild after a Thursday night fire caused extensive damage to the popular downtown Prattville eatery.
"It may take six months or longer," owner Mickey Thompson said Friday morning while still surveying the damage. "We'll get temporary power set up so we can have lights. That will allow us to do an inventory of what we can save. But never give up.
"You tell them we'll be back, just give us time."
The restaurant opened in February 2009 and quickly became a Prattville fixture. Uncle Mick's built a national and international reputation through its popularity with military personnel stationed in the Montgomery area and golfers who travel to play at Capitol Hill, the Robert Trent Jones course in Prattville.
Thompson collects unique items and the décor of the cafe reflected his interests. Items from New Orleans, mounted animal heads, old tools and irreplaceable works from local and regional artists covered Uncle Mick's walls.
"Downtown Prattville just wouldn't be the same without Uncle Mick's," said Bailey Dennis, a Selma resident. "We go over to Prattville at least two weekends a month with friends to eat out, and Mick's is our go-to place."
The Prattville Fire Department received a call about the blaze around 9 p.m. Thursday and sent units from all four of the city's fire stations. Patrons at the nearby Autauga Creek Crafthouse and others called 911 to report heavy smoke coming from the building.
"We have so much to be thankful for tonight," Mayor Bill Gillespie Jr. said Thursday night. "There were people downtown who called it in. We are very thankful for the quick response time and professionalism of our fire department.
"If the fire had gotten out of control, it would have threatened our entire downtown."
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The restaurant was closed at the time. The doors shut at 7:30 p.m. on weeknights.
Thompson said it appears that spontaneous combustion of cleaning rags caused the blaze. The investigation shows the fire was accidental and the point of origin was the clothes dryer, said Fire Chief Terry Brown.
Thompson also had high praise for the fire department.
"This is a heart pine building, they did a great job," he said.
Heart pine is mostly impervious to insect damage and rot, but its high pitch content makes it highly flammable.
A steady stream of friends and well wishers came and went Friday checking on Thompson and offering help.
Among them were Cindy Stephens, who owns Cindy's Cafe, just down the street from Uncle Mick's and Danny Loftin, whose Fat Boy's Barbecue Ranch is a couple of blocks over on the banks of Autauga Creek.
"They just told me and I came down to see if you need any help," Stephens said, reaching out to hug Thompson.
"No, we're just waiting right now to find out what we have to do," Thompson said.
"You have to love Prattville," Thompson said of the support he has received.
The building was constructed around 1895 and in the past has served as a funeral parlor, dry goods store and furniture store.
Thompson did most of the renovations himself before opening the restaurant, including refinishing the pine floors.
Contact Montgomery Advertiser reporter Marty Roney at mroney@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Montgomery Advertiser: Owner plans to rebuild Uncle Mick's Cajun Cafe after devastating fire
