A two-alarm fire devastated the Time Out Taverne Restaurant at 100 New Haven Road early Monday. "This is a town landmark," Durham Fire Chief Steve Levy said. "It’s a major hit to the town." 
An automatic alarm from the business’ alarm company came in at 3:05 a.m., said Levy, who was the first firefighter on sceneat the intersection of routes 17 and 77.  "Smoke was coming out of the building," he said. "Heavy smoke was throughout the entire two-story section."  Levy immediately struck a second alarm and sought assistance from surrounding fire departments. Firefighters from Middlefield, Killingworth, North Madison, Middletown Fire, South Fire District and Westfield all responded to the call, he said. 
The fire raged throughout the building, Levy said. The one-story and the two-story sections of the building were gutted and there were only remnants of both roofs. It took several hours toextinguish the fire, he said.
"The best thing about this tragedy was no one was injured," First Selectwoman Maryann Boord said Monday. "There was huge support from surrounding towns."  Fire hoses ran down Route 17 to the Coginchaug River to help extinguish the fire, Boord said. A section of Route 17 near the route 77 and 79 intersections was blocked off until late Monday morning because of the fire.  Time Out Taverne is owned by Gary Carmichael and Wally Camp, according to the assessor’s records. The business partners took ownership of the restaurant and tavern in 1985, which was built in 1930, according to the assessor’s records.

Motorists passing by could smell burned wood and see the remnants of the building late Monday morning.
Dawn Pirruccio, of Middletown, stood at the fire line on Birch Mill Road with her son looking at the gutted business. Her boyfriend Erik Johnson had worked there for seven months.  "I came here almost every night," she said. Pirruccio saw news reports Monday morning of the fire. "I called Erik and told him he lost his job."  Johnson walked back down from the burned-out building.  "It was one of the better places I worked at," he said. "It’s devastating. I couldn’t believe it. Everything’s gone."  Johnson said Carmichael was "in shock."  "It was a very convenient place," Boord said. "You can always count on good food." 
The local Exchange Club would have its monthly meetings at the restaurant. According to Boord, it was believed Carmichael was talking about rebuilding.  The business had been recently inspected, and "everything was in perfect order," Boord said. "I’m grateful to hear they’re considering rebuilding."  "I hope he does," Johnson said about the owners rebuilding. "It’s pretty popular."