TABOR CITY, N.C. – A fire early Friday morning gutted a popular Columbus County restaurant.

  • Fire broke out around 4 a.m. Friday at Dale's Seafood in Tabor City.
  • No official cause of the fire has been released.
  • Owner hopes to reopen by the end of the year.

It happened at Dale's Seafood in Tabor City on the U.S. Highway 701 Bypass around 4 a.m.

Investigators have not figured out what caused the fire but owner Sue Tyson said she believes it started above the kitchen in the roof area.

Tyson advised her 25 employees to find seasonal employment. She said no matter what their jobs will still be there when Dale's reopens, hopefully by Christmas.

The restaurant opened in 1981.

 

 

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