Franklin Barbecue Plans to Reopen in About a Month After Fire

Franklin Barbecue is closed indefinitely because the restaurant caught on fire early Saturday morning. No one was injured. The pit room, where the fire began, will have to be redone, but pitmaster Aaron Franklin plans on reopening in about a month, as he told Texas Monthly barbecue editor Daniel Vaughn.

Franklin also shared that he is looking to continue to cook up briskets and other smoked meats elsewhere in the city in the meantime, though he didn't share anything further than that. The building suffered smoke damage, but the equipment was unharmed.

The fire began at 5:27 a.m. on Saturday because of an ember that strayed from the pit, and it was stopped at 6:05 a.m. The Austin Fire Department estimated that there was $200,000 worth of structural damage with $150,000 of content damage.

Ever the gentleman, Franklin tried to give the firefighters who helped save his restaurant briskets, but they couldn't accept the gift.

• Aaron Franklin: “We Will Rebuild” [Texas Monthly]
• Franklin Barbecue Caught on Fire [EATX]
• All Coverage of Franklin Barbecue [EATX]