Fire at Main Street Cafe forces popular restaurant’s temporary closure

One of the Huntsville area’s most popular restaurants sustained significant structural damage Thursday, as a fire at Main Street Cafe in downtown Madison has now forced the beloved eatery to temporarily shut its doors.

No one was injured in the blaze, but downtown Madison will not be the same for a little while without one of its most popular members of the business community. However, there are ways the public can make sure business in the area doesn’t suffer during the cafe’s temporary closing.

The lunchtime blaze

Madison firefighters responded to the blaze just after 11AM, according to a statement from the Madison Fire Department. Chief David Bailey told WHNT that everyone was evacuated from the building by the time the department arrived on the scene.

The official statement from the MFD said the cause of the fire is still unknown, and that investigators are looking into how the blaze started.

Damages to the building included major exterior damage and the loss of a large cooler outside the restaurant, in addition to some minor structural damage. The overall damage to the building will, however, force the closure of Main Street Cafe temporarily while repairs are made.

‘Down, but not out!’

Main Street Cafe posted a statement to Facebook Thursday night saying they are looking at the closure of the restaurant to last “1-2 months” and that the building sustained “minor structural damage.”

Main Street also said in the post that they will keep the public informed of the repair progress via their Facebook and Instagram pages.

How you can help

Owner Tammy Hall said she is grateful for the outpouring of support they have received from the public, and that they have been asked multiple times how people can help the situation.

Hall said the best way to help is to help their fellow downtown Madison businesses thrive.

“Mainly, we are just encouraging people to continue coming downtown even though Main Street is closed. So much traffic is created from the restaurant to all the businesses downtown. It’s a loss for everyone.”

Tammy Hall, Main Street Cafe’ owner

Main Street Cafe has been in business for more than 20 years. Constructed in 1954, the building originally served as Madison’s third city hall until it was used as a gift shop in the 1990s. The restaurant opened in 2000, and Tammy and John Hall purchased it in 2018.

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