Fundraiser For Milford Tradesman, Owner Pledges To Stick Around

MILFORD, MA — The beloved Tradesman bar and restaurant was destroyed in a fire on Saturday, but the owners are pledging they "ain't going nowhere."

The fire broke out Saturday just after the Tradesman opened. About a dozen customers were inside, but everyone — including the staff — was able to make it out before flames engulfed the West Street building.

The fire eventually grew to three alarms. The building partially collapsed in the fire, and was eventually reduced to a "pile of rubble," the owners said in a Facebook post Saturday night. They are still deciding what to do next.

"Now we contemplate what's next, quit, rebuild, can it be the same?" the post said. "I mean at the end of the day, it's just stuff and a building, except it isn't, it's the vibe, a vibe that's rarely seen elsewhere, and that is thanks to the all the awesome people that go there and made it theirs as much as it is mine. How could you leave that? So the rest of the bars around here better not get to excited, cause I ain't going nowhere!"

Tim Rice Photo stoped by the T this morning.
Posted by The Tradesman on Monday, February 15, 2021

Meanwhile, a GoFundMe fundraiser was set up for the Tradesman's employees. The effort had raised about $25,000 As of Tuesday morning against a goal of $30,000. The money will be used to pay the employees, according to organizers.