Durham’s Parker and Otis plans to debut its post-fire renovation at 7:30 a.m. Thursday morning after being closed for more than a month.

At about 7:45 p.m. on Dec. 26, owner Jennings Brody and her husband and business partner Jonathan Kea learned about a fire at the business at 112 S. Duke Street from an alarm company representative, Brody said.

The fire, caused by a faulty overhead light fixture, damaged an isolated area in the store, which was covered in black ash and water from the automatic sprinklers. The store was closed for the Christmas holidays.

All of the inventory had to be discarded and some of the floors and other areas had
to be replaced. Brody used the opportunity to make some needed changes to store’s layout, she said.
Meanwhile, Parker and Otis employees have been working out of Brody and Kea’s
house, updating the employee manual, trying out new recipes and making signs.

Parker and Otis sells a variety of candy, gourmet foods and gifts, along with serving coffee, breakfast and lunch. It opened in the Peabody Place complex near Brightleaf Square in the summer of 2007.

Brody asked customers to be patient Thursday as employees may be working through some quirks throughout the day.

“We are going to have to get used to our new skin,” Brody said. “Patience is a virtue tomorrow.”

Durham's Parker and Otis reopens tomorrow (Feb. 7th) at 7:30 a.m. Stop by and grab a coffee or lunch or whatever you have been missing.

The restaurant, coffee bar and shop had closed after a fire in late December. Go HERE to read our earlier story.

Parker and Otis owner Jennings Brody said she hoped to reopen her Durham restaurant and gourmet food and wine store sometime between Feb. 4-6.

The store suffered a fire the day after Christmas, which was quickly subdued by a sprinkler system. A faulty light fixture is believed to blame.

After the fire, Brody reported that soot covered everything in the store and she was required to pitch all food products, including items in closed packaging.

On the bright side, Brody said, "The store will never be cleaner."

And Brody and her staff will take the next month to work out of her house on that perpetual to-do list that plagues every business owner. They will design new signs and test recipes, among other things.

Brody thanked the Durham Fire Department for their response to the fire and the store's loyal customers.

"The outpouring of support from our customers has been amazing," Brody said.

UPDATED WITH LINK TO MOST CURRENT STORY: Go HERE to read Jim Wise's story.