- Crown Burgers in Sandy closed after a fire caused significant damage last week.
- The fire damaged the kitchen lobby and HVAC units; no injuries were reported, according to fire officials.
- Jeff Merrell started a GoFundMe to support the restaurant's repair expenses.
SANDY — Owners of the Crown Burgers restaurant in Sandy say it will remain closed temporarily after a fire broke out inside the building last week.
Fire crews in Sandy responded to the location at 9604 S. State last Thursday after a fire sparked in the attic above the restaurant's kitchen and spread to the roof. The kitchen and lobby area sustained significant smoke damage, and two HVAC units were also damaged due to the incident, according to Sandy Fire Chief Ryan McConaghie.
Fortunately, no one was injured, but the owners are now facing costly repairs.
"The loss is structural and it will take some time to rebuild," a statement on the restaurant's Facebook page reads. "Crown Burgers will be closed for the foreseeable future. We will be back as quickly as possible to serve the Sandy Community."
The cause of the fire remains under investigation.
Owners of the popular Utah fast-food chain did not respond to KSL's request for comment, but one Sandy man has taken it upon himself to rally financial support for the charred restaurant.
Jeff Merrell said the Crown Burgers in Sandy is more than just a restaurant — it's an environment that has welcomed customers like him and his family with warmth and kindness.
His family moved to Sandy six years ago and often frequents the nearby establishment. Merrell said he was saddened to hear about Thursday's fire.
"I saw the article and then I looked for other articles and sure enough, it was like our spot — it was Chris and Nikki (Katsenevas') restaurant, where we go all the time with our kids," he said. "I was pretty disappointed."
But Merrell's appreciation for Crown Burgers is about much more than pastrami burgers and Greek salads.
As a youth growing up in the Tremonton area, he recalled visits to Salt Lake City, where his family would take the opportunity to dine at one of the chain's several Wasatch Front locations.
"Anytime we came down to Salt Lake City for a (Utah) Jazz game or whatever, we would always eat at Crown Burgers, so it was very nostalgic for me growing up," he told KSL.
"It's truly the best burger in Utah, and the team is incredible," Merrell wrote on GoFundMe*.
Merrell said he, his wife and children have made their own memories at the Crown Burgers in Sandy.
"A couple years ago, my wife surprised me for my birthday by having (some) friends) all meet up at Crown Burger for dinner together," he recounted.
His wife organized similar get-togethers for her birthday celebration.
While Merrell praised the kindness of the establishment's owners, he also noted a more personal experience of having a place to go that breeds warmth and community during a recent time of unemployment.
"There is an area of my life where I was trying to get back up on my feet — figure out what was next and move forward. And just having that camaraderie and friendship at their restaurant every time I walked in was meaningful to me," he said.
Having a sense of what losing income feels like, Merrell felt the least he could do was start an online fundraiser to help cover expenses incurred by last week's fire.
"If I were running a business and I'm faced with a large expense to repair and I have to do it in order to get back up and running and I'm not making any money during that time to help fund the repair — and my employees aren't making any money because we're closed — like I'm eager to get back up and running," he explained. "So I'm just trying to do what I can to help them get back on their feet."
*KSL.com does not assure that the money deposited into the account will be applied for the benefit of the persons named as beneficiaries. If you are considering a deposit to the account, you should consult your own advisers and otherwise proceed at your own risk.
