Matunuck Oyster Bar likely total loss after fire. What we know.

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Matunuck Oyster Bar likely total loss after fire. What we know.

A two-alarm fire at Matunuck Oyster Bar in South Kingstown early in the morning on May 20 caused serious damage to the iconic restaurant and firefighters say the restaurant will likely be a total loss.

“The building did suffer a lot of damage,” Union Fire Chief Steve Pinch said Tuesday morning. “I would think they’d probably have to take the building down and start over.”

The building was empty, and no injuries were reported.

Matunuck Oyster Bar owner Perry Raso is hugged by his employees after the restaurant was destroyed by a fire on May 20, 2025.

Owner Perry Raso is ‘heartbroken’

Matunuck Oyster Bar owner Perry Raso released a statement through a spokesman, first thanking the firefighters who responded to the early morning blaze. “While the damage to our building is devastating to me, our patrons, and our employees, we are very thankful no one was injured,” he said.

Raso said he is working closely with the Department of Labor & Training, the Governor’s Office, and other public officials to assist Matunuck Oyster Bar’s more than 300 full-time and seasonal employees. He also thanked all the neighbors, patrons, partners, colleagues and friends from Rhode Island and beyond who reached out with offers to help. “We are humbled by this outpouring of kindness from our community, and we are working to explore the most efficient and most impactful avenues available, in order to ensure that our staff receives assistance during this difficult time,” Raso said.

“We are humbled and grateful for what Matunuck Oyster Bar represents to so many people,” he said. “While we are heartbroken that our doors will be temporarily closed, we are committed to opening them back up and welcoming guests back to our tables as soon as possible.”

Matunuck Oyster Bar fire fueled by strong winds

Firefighters found “a large amount of fire” coming from the rear and second floor of the 2½-story Matunuck Oyster Bar when they responded before 4 a.m., Pinch said. Firefighters got the call at about 3:44 a.m. and were there within 8 minutes, he said.

The fire was initially fueled by a strong wind “as firefighters aggressively attacked the blaze,” the Union Fire District said in a press release. The fire reached the building’s void spaces, making the firefighting more challenging, the Fire Department said.

A second alarm was struck to bring additional resources to the scene, the Fire Department said.

The wind died down within about a half hour, and the approximately 35 firefighters on scene had the fire under control within about 1½ hours, Pinch said.

Pinch and other firefighters were still at the fire scene as of about 8 a.m., cleaning up and putting out hot spots. Restaurant owner Perry Raso was also there.

What caused the Matunuck Oyster Bar fire?

The state

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is investigating the cause, which is standard procedure, Pinch said. The Union Fire District Fire Marshal’s Office and the South Kingstown Police Department are working with the state office in the investigation.

The restaurant was open Monday night, according to Pinch.

Matunuck Oyster Bar recently named one of the best restaurants in the country

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is one of Rhode Island’s most popular restaurants and, according to 

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, one of the top 44 places to eat in America.

How was Matunuck Oyster Bar started?

Raso started the restaurant as an extension of his oyster farming business in 2009.

He founded Matunuck Oyster Farm in 2002 on a 7-acre commercial aquaculture lease, on Potter Pond in East Matunuck, a village in South Kingstown.

Because he needed the dock in 2009, Raso purchased a small, seasonal restaurant on the inlet and it’s grown from there.

Pinch has dined at Matunuck Oyster Bar and called it an “awesome” restaurant.

“We feel bad for all of the employees, and everyone affected by this fire,” Pinch said. “It’s heartbreaking.”

“The Matunuck Oyster Bar is a fixture in the town,” Pinch later added in a press release. “It employs a lot of people. Most people in the community know someone who works there. It has a big impact on the town’s economy. It’s tough imagining the summer going on without having the Oyster Bar open.”

“Hopefully, they rebuild and are even better when they reopen,” Pinch said.

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A fire likely destroyed the Matunuck Oyster Bar in South Kingstown on May 20, 2025

Pinch praised the work of the department’s firefighters.

“Our firefighters did a tremendous job, in extreme heat and wind conditions in a difficult building,” he said. “It was a pretty stubborn fire.”

According to the Union Fire District, mutual aid was provided by fire departments from Narragansett, North Kingstown, Charlestown and the Kingston Fire District. The North Kingstown Fire Department also provided station coverage, while South Kingstown EMS and the University of Rhode Island EMS were both at the scene on standby, the Fire Department said.

Because the building is close to the water, the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management responded to the scene, according to the Fire Department.

Previous reporting from Staff Writer Gail Ciampa was used in this story. This story has been updated with new information.

This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal:

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#Matunuck #Oyster #Bar #total #loss #fire

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