Denise and Steve Ryan ‘overwhelmed’ with support after Anchors Wharf fire in Urunga

Much loved restaurateurs Denise and Steve Ryan have been ‘overwhelmed’ with messages of support and have vowed they will be back soon.

Denise and Steve Ryan outside Anchors Wharf. The couple have remained positive despite the huge damage sustained at their much loved restaurant. Photo: Tim Jarrett

When Denise and Steve Ryan got the call that the restaurant they had owned and operated for 24 years was on fire they were 300 kilometres away and about to tuck into a meal.

“We were on the Gold Coast … and my head waitress who lived upstairs rang screaming that the restaurant was on fire,” Steve said.

“She said it was ‘really going up’ and I just thought ‘oh my God’ – we just jumped in the car and headed straight back.”

As the smoke and flames billowed out of Anchors Wharf hundreds of kilometres away, Denise says she watched a live stream of the event right as it unfolded and they began the four-hour journey back to Urunga.

NSW Fire and Rescue at the scene of the fire at Anchors Wharf Cafe and Restaurant at Urunga. Photo: Lani Kelly

It was an experience described by Denise and “intense” and it was only heightened by the fact the building or “our baby”, situated on the banks of the Kalang River, had also been the family home when they first moved to town in 1997.

Anchors Wharf has steadily gained a reputation as one of the most loved restaurants on the Coffs Coast and judging by the public reaction to Monday’s fire, it is down to more than just the great seafood.

When the news broke that the building ablaze the response was swift and uniform – the community was devastated and in a testament to how highly the Ryans are regarded in Urunga and beyond, they have been inundated with messages of support, flowers and offers to assist the rebuild.

Steve says it has been “overwhelming” and he quickly whips out his phone to highlight a heartfelt message from a former staff member from way back when they first took over the business.

“It’s just amazing. People have just been asking if they can we help in any way,” he said.

“We are just so lucky that no one got injured and everyone is safe – we can replace the restaurant.”

As the couple survey the damage – estimated to be in the hundreds of thousands of dollars – they manage to do so with a smile and a sense of humour, recognising that it could have been a lot worse.

Pointing to a hole in the wall where the flames began to creep up to the second floor, Steve says it may have only been another five minutes and the entire building could have gone up in flames.

Denise and Steve Ryan survey the damage at their Anchors Wharf restaurant which they have owned and operated for 24 years. Photo: Tim Jarrett

“The building itself is fine – which is a saviour – and the deck is still intact but the whole inside of the restaurant is damaged and kitchen area is gutted,” Steve said.

“It’s going to be hard slog for the next couple of months but hopefully we can be open in two to three months.”

And the cause of the blaze?

Following investigations from Fire and Rescue NSW and Coffs/Clarence police, the origin has now been revealed – an electrical fault in a small bar fridge.

“It’s just so frustrating that a $350 fridge causes hundreds of thousands of dollars in damage,” Steve said.