For more than 20 years, Lucas Thornton has been coming to the Virginian Markette on Lee Highway.
"We'd come down and get ice cream and hot dogs," said Thornton. "We know the owners. The Stumps are great guys. It's just a community spot."
That's why he can't believe that what happened there early Sunday morning.
"It's a bit of a shock," said Thornton. "It's just a surprising event. It's not every day there's a fire that's as disruptive as this one."
It's a feeling that others in the community share -- including some who fought the fire.
"The building that burned was kind of a landmark," said Joey Bona, a Botetourt County Fire Investigator. "It's been around anywhere from 125 to 150 years, so it's a very well known spot. The business always did very well in that location."
As they reflect on what's been lost, the investigation into how it started continues. Bona says they haven't been able to pinpoint a cause yet -- and at this point, they can't say for sure whether it's suspicious or not.
"We came up with some questions we weren't able to find the answers to," said Bona.
He says answering them could take days or even weeks.
"The fire can actually destroy some evidence," said Bona. "That's why it takes us a long time to stay on scenes and dig through everything to see what we can come up with."
Meanwhile, an insurance agent visited the property Monday morning. Owner Gregg Stump says depending on what he hears from them, he'll either pay to fix the building or tear it down and replace it.
That's good news for Thornton, who says he hopes he'll get to stop in for many more hot dogs in the years to come.
"I'm encouraged to hear that they're looking to rebuild it," said Thornton.
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