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You want fries with that? Sorry, not today

By Staff | Jan 11, 2010

Blue Earth McDonalds employee Brandon ‘Stan’ Acton was busy cleaning up the remains of the fire damage where the French fry fryer once stood. It was damaged in an electrical fire on New Year’s Day and removed. A new one was shipped on Wednesday. Below, the Blue Earth restaurant has remained open despite the fire.

If you are not “lovin’ it,” without your French fries, hopefully any withdrawal symptoms from not eating them or other deep-fried food at McDonald’s in Blue Earth have come to an end.

A fire around 11 a.m. on Jan. 1 destroyed a deep fryer, says Wes Clerc of Fairmont and owner of the local fast food restaurant.

“It is hurting us sales wise, but the majority of our customers understand,” he says. “We’re letting them know before they order, so they know what their options are.”

In addition to French fries, customers are not able to buy hashbrowns or deep-fried chicken products.

As before, customers are able to substitute a side salad or apple dippers for fries if they order a Value Meal.

Clerc says Happy Meals are being discounted $1.

“Kids wouldn’t understand if we didn’t sell Happy Meals. They want the toy,” he says.

A new fryer was ordered on Tuesday and was scheduled to be shipped out on Wednesday.

About 10-12 employees were preparing for the switch over from breakfast to lunch when the fire broke out.

Clerc says workers acted quickly to try and extinguish the fire, but failed.

The Blue Earth Fire Department was called and the restaurant was evacuated for about a half hour, until the smoke cleared.

Clerc says no one was injured and estimates a loss of more than $10,000.

He says cause of the blaze was an electrical short.

Clerc owns four other McDonald’s restaurants, in Fairmont, Windom, St. James and Marshall.

He says this is the first time something like this has happened in the 30 years he has been in business.