2015 Stories of the Year: Overnight fire ravages Nu-Way Weiners
No. 4 Story of the Year
January 1, 2016
2015 Stories of the Year: Overnight fire ravages Nu-Way Weiners
Heavy, black smoke rose from the 400 block of Cotton Avenue in downtown Macon on March 13. Witnesses reported seeing flames climbing as high as 20 feet into the air as the original Nu-Way Weiners restaurant burned hours before dawn.
Authorities have said an electrical fire that started in the warehouse behind the eatery sparked the blaze, which damaged the warehouse and Nu-Way corporate office.
The fire didn’t actually reach the dining area of the restaurant, but the ceiling and roof collapsed on top of it.
Decades of Nu-Way memorabilia and the company’s files were saved.
Nu-Way’s famous hot dogs, hamburgers and drinks with flaky ice have become local favorites, with multiple other locations around town. Celebrity customers have included Little Richard Penniman and Oprah Winfrey.
Co-owners Jim Cacavias and Spyros Dermatas said they hope to reopen the restaurant, in a museum-like style, on Cotton Avenue at the same site where it first opened in February 1916.
This story was originally published January 1, 2016 at 12:00 AM with the headline "2015 Stories of the Year: Overnight fire ravages Nu-Way Weiners."