What's next for Matunuck Oyster Bar after fire? What we know
A devastating fire at Rhode Island's popular Matunuck Oyster Bar in South Kingstown on May 20 left the restaurant closed and likely a total loss.
Matunuck Oyster Bar had recently been named one of the top 44 places to eat in America, according to USA TODAY's 2025 Restaurants of the Year list.
After the fire, Boon Street Market in Narragansett, home to four casual restaurants, closed its doors to the general public for several hours to provide free food and drinks to Matunuck Oyster Bar staffers and first responders.
Many of those first responders started battling the fire before 4 a.m. Tuesday. Restaurant employees had finished their shifts only a few hours earlier.
Here's what we know about the fire:
Members of the state Fire Marshals Office are investigating, and investigators were seen combing through the remains of the building on May 20 to find the cause of the fire.
The South Kingstown Police Department and the Union Fire District Fire Marshals Office are working with the state on the investigation.
Union Fire Chief Steve Pinch said the fire seriously damaged the 2½-story building.
"I would think they'd probably have to take the building down and start over," he said on May 20.
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.
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.'
"Our hearts go out to Perry Raso and his staff," James Petrella, owner of Jimmy's Port Side Restaurant in Narragansett, wrote on Facebook.
"Please reach out to me if you guys need anything," Petrella wrote, adding his phone number.
Southern Rhode Island Chamber of Commerce wrote on Facebook, "Our thoughts are with Perry and the entire team at Matunuck Oyster Bar after a devastating fire overnight. Just as the summer season was about to begin, this beloved local business has been deeply impacted. We know how strong and resilient our community is, and we're wishing them a speedy recovery."
Matunuck Oyster Bar is one of Rhode Island's most popular restaurants and, according to USA TODAY's 2025 Restaurants of the Year list, one of the top 44 places to eat in America.
Perry 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.
This article originally appeared on The Providence Journal: Matunuck Oyster Bar: Rhode Island community rallies, owner to rebuild
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