Beatles Themed Pub Gutted By Fire
From the Virgina Pilot website.
An electrical fire Tuesday afternoon damaged a popular Virginia Beach oceanfront restaurant known for its extensive collection of Beatles memorabilia. The fire started about 2:30 p.m. at Abbey Road Pub & Restaurant at 203 22nd St. Fire Battalion Chief David Hutcheson said the blaze started while a worker with Dominion Virginia Power was installing a new electrical meter near the front entrance.
Restaurant owner Bill Dillon was standing near the meter when, he said, it “exploded.” “Within 30 seconds, fire was going up the wall,” Dillon said. “Black smoke was pouring out the back door. It looked like a kitchen fire.” About 10 to 12 people were in the restaurant at the time.
Heat from the fire melted plasma TVs and ceiling fans. Black soot blanketed the bar and dining area, including Beatles album covers, posters and autographed pictures that Dillon has collected since the 1960s.
“I’m not ready to even go through it yet,” he said. “I know I’ve lost a lot. It makes me sick.”
Dillon opened Abbey Road in 1982. He said he hoped to reopen the restaurant within two to three weeks.
