A fire early Tuesday morning that destroyed the only full-service, year-round restaurant in Parrsboro, N.S., is being called a "devastating" and "enormous" loss for the community.

Fire broke out at Glooscap Tavern on Upper Main Street around 7 a.m., according to fire Chief James Shaw, with the Parrsboro Volunteer Fire Department.

When firefighters arrived, all they could see was smoke, he said. But that changed when they got inside.

"They proceeded in as far as the bar area and the fire opened up above them," said Shaw. "They could hear some awful loud snapping ... and backed out, and then the fire decided it was going to breech through the roof of the building."

The Glooscap Tavern is located at 758 Upper Main Street. (Submitted by Mary-Lou Rutherford)

Shaw said no one was inside at the time of the fire and there are no buildings nearby. He said it's too soon to say what caused the fire.

Troy Harrison, who manages the nearby Home Hardware, said he saw thick smoke billowing from the restaurant turn into flames that were more than four metres high.

"I hate to say it but it looked to be a total loss, like there is no roof left on the building," he said.

Staple of the community

Shaw called the fire "an enormous loss for the community." He said several community functions were held at the restaurant, including fire department banquets.

"I have spent countless hours at that restaurant over the years, right from the time I was a little kid right through to this past week," he said, adding he even had his first legal drink at the weekly wing night when he turned 19.

Several fire departments responded to the fire. (Submitted by Sandy Graham)

The Glooscap Tavern is the only full-service restaurant that operates in the small town during the winter.

Wannetta Tanner, who's worked as a server at the restaurant for two years, said she's still in shock. She was scheduled to go into work Tuesday afternoon but instead got a call from her sister informing her of the fire.

"Figured they [would] have it out by the time I got there," Tanner told CBC News over Facebook. "I went to town to see for myself and couldn't believe it."

Kürsten Kelly, a friend of the owners, woke up to this scene on Tuesday. (Submitted by Kürsten Kelly)

Glooscap Tavern is family-owned and employs nine full-time employees, she said, plus a couple of casual employees. Tanner said she's still coming to grips with being out of a job.

"Jobs are few and far between and unemployment isn't enough to live off of," she wrote. "Take it one day at a time and hope for the best."

Kürsten Kelly, a friend of the owners, said the fire is especially devastating so close to Christmas.

Fire chief James Shaw said the building is a write-off. (Submitted by Kürsten Kelly)

"It's hard. I think everyone's just in shock," said Kelly, who saw the black smoke from her window. "It's devastating to the community. It's devastating to [the owners]. It's devastating to the employees."

Kelly set up a GoFundMe campaign on Tuesday to raise money for the owners and employees. She said Glooscap Tavern was one of the few places people could gather in the cold winter months.

"It can't be easy to keep a business open in winter in an area this small anyway," she said. "So the fact that they managed to do that, to keep that service running for the community … it does mean a lot."

Fire crews were on scene until 2:30 p.m. The investigation continues this week to find out where and how the fire started.