NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Whether you were a broke college student, a tourist or a longtime Hillsboro Village resident, McDougal's Fried Chicken and Wings seemed to always attract a crowd. But even with fire, owner Tommy McDougal said they will find a way to exist in their Nashville neighborhood.
"This is just really shocking to walk by and see that this happened," said Signe Burchim, who is visiting Nashville.
"Ugh, it’s a shame though," said Aidan Hoyal, who lives down the street from McDougal's.
"I’m incredibly sad that this happened. I’m kind of in shock," said Joseph Perochaska, who grew up in Nashville.
The Nashville Fire Department responded to a call Monday afternoon at the McDougal's on Belcourt Avenue, finding smoke pouring out of the roof. No one was hurt, but tarps and plywood boards now cover the scars of a pretty big fire.
"I’ve been coming here my entire life. I love to eat here," said Perochaska.
This was the original location of McDougal's and has sat across from the Belcourt Theater for 18 years.
"We would come to the chicken shack and hangout. The kids would play and neighbors catching up," said Hoyal.
Hoyal lives near Hillsboro Village and told NewsChannel 5 that the chicken shack and its iconic patio might as well have been the neighborhood's center of the universe.
"Nostalgia, just thinking back on all the times we spent here when our kid was little. All his friends would run around, there used to be a field next to this restaurant," she said.
"It’s definitely one of the staples of the area for sure," said Perochaska.
It was the eclectic inside of the restaurant for Joseph.
"I go in and I see all sorts of memorabilia from local schools, things that are signed by people I know. It has such a nice inviting neighborhood atmosphere and great food too," he said.
It's unclear if McDougal's can or will return, but if their run is over, it's an unwelcome change to these neighbors.
"I’d love to see them come back and hopefully in the same kind of neighborhood building," said Hoyal.
"There have been a lot of restaurants coming and going along this avenue, but McDougal’s is really that mainstay, kind of central eatery if you will," said Ethan Fesperman.
Here's the good news — if you have a craving for McDougal's fried chicken, they do still have a location open on 12th Avenue South. They're also working on opening up a new location in Brentwood. McDogual is also hoping insurance will cover what happened, and they are in talks to figure out next steps.
So far, there's no word on what started the fire, according to McDougal.
