Fire and break-in forces closure, cleanup of Hudson’s Hamburgers

A burglar is suspected of setting a fire that damaged the venerable Hudson’s Hamburgers in downtown Coeur d’Alene on Tuesday morning.

Firefighters were dispatched to the restaurant at 207 Sherman Ave., where owner Steve Hudson discovered smoke when he showed up for work.

Hudson said whomever broke into the restaurant appeared to be trying to steal the cash-only business’s ATM. There was a dolly and crowbar left at the restaurant.

“It was intentional, that’s for sure,” Hudson said.

Hudson didn’t see flames, but when firefighters arrived they used an extinguisher inside the building. The damage was confined to a storage area in the rear of the squat building housing the burger restaurant that dates back to the early 1900s.

It wasn’t clear how the burglar broke into the building, Hudson said. There was no evidence of broken glass.

Hudson’s will be closed for cleanup of extensive smoke damage.

The owner said Tuesday he did not have an estimate when he would reopen.

The Coeur d’Alene Police Department is investigating the fire and apparent break-in, along with investigators from the Coeur d’Alene Fire Department. Those with information are asked to contact police at (208) 769-2296 or via email at policetips@cdaid.org.