Steventons, the well-loved LeClaire restaurant, caught fire at 1:30 a.m. on Friday, Jan. 3. The fire took out the entirety of the roof as well as the majority of the dining room and kitchen. The investigation into the cause of the fire is currently ongoing. The establishment was very popular among Quad City residents and had served LeClaire for 32 years.
The entirety of LeClaire is distraught about the disaster, especially former employees. With the unforeseen closing, many individuals are left unemployed and frantically searching for a new job. Fortunately, the owners of SteventonsーFood Drink Friends, Inc.ーown The Tangled Wood in Bettendorf and the City Limits Saloon & Grill in Rock Island. They have begun to make an effort to re-employ the former Steventons employees at these establishments.
Although Food Drink Friends, Inc. is making an effort to re-employ their former employees, many are still upset over the change. “I am really sad about everything that happened because it happened so quickly. I loved the staff and my coworkers, I also have been worrying about the other employees whose whole career was Steventons,” said Steventons hostess Sidney Love.
In addition to distraught employees, many Quad Cities residents mourn the loss of a beloved dining establishment. Steventons was a staple for many families and will be difficult to replace. “I worked at Steventons for about a year and a half and it was such an amazing place. The people there made me excited to come to work every day and I always had so much fun. I will always have such fond memories and stories from my family there. It’s very sad for everyone involved but we are blessed to have bosses and employers that care about the staff,” explained Steventons employee Kylee Walden.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, and the source has yet to be determined. Many speculate that it was a standard kitchen fire or that the heated equipment hadn’t been properly turned off. On the other hand, some speculate the fire was an act of arson. There is not yet any evidence supporting either theory, but the community hopes to soon find answers.
Steventons employees met Wednesday afternoon to discuss the future of Steventons. “Our CEO believes that the cause of the fire was foul play. A lot of my coworkers were crying at the meeting and it was extremely upsetting to hear that this disaster might have been intentional,” said Love.
The restaurant hopes to reopen in the near future, but there is still a lot of work to be done. In addition to rebuilding, the company will have to find new employees if their former employees take on new careers. The Quad Cities community hopes to find answers soon, hoping that Steventons will seek justice if arson was at play.
