EPHRATA, Pa. — The owners of Martin's Country Market, which was destroyed by a fire on February 15, announced this week that there are no plans to rebuild the Lancaster County landmark.
“In the weeks since the fire the family has come to the realization that rebuilding the store the way that we all remember it, is no longer feasible,” the Martin family said in a statement shared to LNP | LancasterOnline by Nevin Martin, store president.
Instead, the family plans to explore the potential redevelopment or sale of the property, located at 1717 W. Main St. in Ephrata Township.
“This decision has been difficult and is bittersweet,” the Martin family said. “We want to thank our loyal customers for their support over the years.”
The market, which opened in 1988, has been closed indefinitely since the February 15 fire, which caused a multi-million-dollar loss.
The Pennsylvania State Police Fire Marshal was unable to determine what caused the blaze due to the extent of the damage.
Nothing suspicious was found, the fire marshal added.
The building, which did not have a sprinkler system was completely destroyed in the fire. More than 200 firefighters were dispatched to the scene. It took more than six hours to contain the blaze.
The business' website still has a thank-you message posted to customers and first responders.