NEWAYGO, Mich. — An early morning fire destroyed Brookside Discount Grocery in Newaygo, leaving only charred remains of a store that had served the community for around 25 years.
The fire broke out around midnight Thursday at the Amish-owned grocery store, which had been in operation since the early 2000s. The cause remains under investigation.
WATCH: 'Oh my gosh, that's Brookside going down': Newaygo community reacts after fire destroys 25-year grocery staple
The fire was large enough that one of the owners, who lives about 3.5 miles from the store, could see black clouds of smoke from his home. He told FOX 17 no one was injured in the fire.
Newaygo neighbor Susan Price was driving by when she saw the aftermath.
"I passed by it and I thought 'oh my gosh, that's Brookside going down'," Price said.
She said the loss will be felt deeply by the community.
"It's gonna be a major loss for some of these shoppers up here I can tell you that," Price said.
Price described Brookside as a staple in the neighborhood.
"This was well trafficked, usually the parking lot would be full,” Price said. “It's become a part of the shopping habits of a lot of the locals here, including myself.”
The owners declined to go on camera, but said around 300 people would come through the store on a good day.
Longtime Newaygo neighbor Lucille Myers said the loss hit close to home.
"It hurts to see this happen," Myers said. “I’m just thankful everyone is safe.”
The community has created a GoFundMe to help the store rebuild, something Myers said she hopes becomes a reality.
"I hope they bring the store back. I hope for not only their families and their jobs and their way of living, but also just for the community," Myers said.
The owners said it is too early to say what their plans for Brookside will be moving forward.
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