Year after Pita Pit fire, what happens next at downtown site?

There are no plans currently in place to reopen the Pita Pit restaurant in downtown Barrie that was damaged in an apartment fire one year ago tomorrow.

The Canada Day 2021 fire occurred just after 5:30 a.m. in the Dunlop Street West block that also contains apartments over the businesses.

The eatery has remained boarded up for the past year, while development happens elsewhere along the city's main drag. The apartments above are also still boarded up. 

At the time of the blaze, two people were sent to hospital, with one being released and the other having to stay with burn-related injuries.

City of Barrie senior communications manager Scott LaMantia told BarrieToday that a building permit was issued on Dec. 6, 2021 for fire damage repairs.

Sheila Shultis from MicroAge Foodtastic, which oversees Pita Pit, told BarrieToday via email “there isn't a reopening date scheduled yet.”

The fire was significant in that deputy fire chief Carrie Clark told BarrieToday at the time that “flames were issuing out of the window from the upper apartment.” 

Five trucks and 20 firefighters were on the scene of the blaze.

The Office of the Fire Marshal has not yet to provide any information about what caused the fire.