HORRY COUNTY, SC (WMBF) – Several businesses in Horry County have been without power for nearly one month following a fire early this month.
On Jan 1, crews responded to a fire at 1951 Mr. Joe White Avenue near Frontage Road. Online records list the business as Wholesale Furniture Gallery.
The owner of Wholesale Furniture Gallery said the fire happened in an electrical room, causing the entire business complex to lose power.
Due to the power outage, many businesses have had to temporarily close their doors, such as Lemongrass, a Thai and Vietnamese restaurant.
“We cannot do anything at this point because of power,” said Sak Yiengjuntuek, owner of Lemongrass. “You know it’s going to be tough for us right now.”
He said due to the lack of electricity, they’ve had to throw out their food and lose business.
“It’s highly tough since we spent a lot of money in this location and then we opened only for five months,” Yiengjuntuek said.
Yiengjuntuek owns other businesses in the area, such as Asian Mart, which is located next door to Lemongrass and is also affected by the power outage.
He said they are using a generator to continue operating the Asian Mart. However, the restaurant remains closed.
Yiengjuntuek said they’ve also lost employees, something the nearby Wholesale Furniture Gallery has also experienced.
“You know it’s hard to lay people off that are good employees and at no fault of our own,” said Mark Bridgers, owner of Wholesale Furniture Gallery. “It wasn’t poor business, it was just an unfortunate accident, and that’s been the hardest thing is to see good people laid off.”
Bridgers said their Mr. Joe White Avenue location is temporarily closed to the public and that it may take four to six months until it reopens.
As for Lemongrass, Yiengjuntuek said it may be until March before they reopen.
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