TGI Fridays blames contractor for fire damage

CHARLESTON - The company that runs the TGI Fridays in Cross Lanes has filed a lawsuit stemming from a 2004 fire that shut down the restaurant for several days.

Imperial Builders Inc. was named the defendant in the lawsuit filed by Bisto Management Inc., doing busines as TGI Fridays, on Feb. 23 in Kanawha Circuit Court.

"As a direct and proximate result of the defendant's failure ... a fire occurred at plaintiff's restaurant on or about Feb. 29, 2004," the complaint states.

Fridays is seeking $68,294.92 in damages and blames Imperial for not building a kitchen wall with fireproof material.

"The defendant failed to properly construct a kitchen wall in the restaurant," Fridays says. "Specifically, defendant failed to build this wall with fireproof material. Instead defendant used plywood in the substructure of the wall."

On Feb. 29, 2004, Fridays claims the wall caught fire, causing damage to the kitchen and other portions of the building, including the food stock.

The building was damaged in the sum of $32,497.80.

Fridays also claims to have lost business personal property, including inventory and food, in the amount of $27,049.45. They say $8,747.67 was lost in income from Feb. 29 to March 4, when the restaurant had to be shut down.

Fridays is represented by Joseph Horter of Hendrickson and Long. Judge Tod Kaufman has been assigned the case.

Kanawha Circuit Court case number: 06-C-362