Downtown Farmington Restaurant May Reopen Next Week

Thanks to quick action by the Farmington Public Safety Department  an iconic downtown Farmington restaurant damaged by fire Sept. 6 may reopen as early as next week.

Farmington city council member Greg Cowley said Monday that the quick response and decision not to open up the restaurant's roof to fight the fire minimized the damage at John Cowley & Sons, his family's restaurant. He said he hopes the restaurant will reopen Sept. 24. 

"We're re-engineering things to make sure this doesn't happen again," Cowley said.

Firefighters were called to the restaurant at 5:15 p.m. The fire started in the restaurant's wood-fired grill and moved up through a vent.  

Groups that regularly meet at the restaurant have had to find other accommodations. The Xemplar Club will host its Sept. 18 Donation Day, awarding thousands of dollars to local charities and organizations, at Peterlin's Restaurant in the Farmington Crossroads shopping center, Nine Mile and Farmington Roads.