Dayton, OH — The very first Fricker’s restaurant, and also the first one built in Dayton, a 5,700-square-foot eatery and the company’s headquarters office space, is a complete loss. The destruction occurred a mere 11 days after Fricker’s opened its newest and largest facility in Troy.

The Dayton fire caused no reported injuries.

Paul Curtis, director of franchising and human resources for Dayton-based Fricker’s USA, said the establishment at 4963 Springboro Pike in West Carrollton caught fire early Monday morning, 15 September 2008, and is a “100 percent loss.”

Curtis had no details about the cause of the blaze, because the remains have been deemed too dangerous for fire inspectors. He stated Ray Frick, who started Fricker’s, expects to rebuild at the same location.

Ray Frick and his brother, Robert, founded Fricker’s in 1985 at the beginning of the Buffalo wing craze. The brothers later split up and now Robert co-owns Columbus-based Roosters, which is currently 20 stores strong.

Prior to this loss, Fricker’s USA had 19 stores operating under its nameplate in Ohio, Indiana and Michigan. (Back In 2005, Fricker’s had just 14 restaurants.) Locally, the chain has stores in Centerville, Dayton, Huber Heights, Middletown, Springfield, Troy and Vandalia. The company, which employs more than 1,000 people, doesn’t disclose sales.

Fricker’s began franchising its restaurants in 2003 as franchisees opened restaurants in Huber Heights and then downtown Toledo. Franchisees need to have $750,000 in net worth as well as $250,000 in liquid assets.

Photos are copyright 2008 by William P. "Mac" McMeans.