Hamburger Mary’s opened in 2012. Gary Motes, one of the original franchise owners, said his daughter took over the franchise on Beach Boulevard in 2019.Motes told News4JAX that the restaurant closed about an hour before the fire started. Employees came to drop off some people at their cars and noticed the smoke.Motes said an electrical fire in one of the main panels was the cause of the destruction.“It’s devastating,” Motes said. “My daughter and her staff lost everything.
It’s more than a building that they lost. Motes said they lost irreplaceable memorabilia and letters that people sent to them about how the Hamburger Mary’s shows changed their lives.“The community has come on board to help our staff. We have several fundraisers already scheduled,” Motes said. “We had one last night. It was a great turnout. They raised $500 for our staff.”