A burger restaurant devastated by a fire a year ago could reopen as a training centre for young people with special educational needs (SEN), its owners have said.
More than 60 firefighters tackled a blaze at the Dorset Burger Company building in King Street, Weymouth, in January 2025.
A year after the fire, owners Emma Cogan and Ross Kay have revealed plans to start a community interest company offering training and a community café.
The pair said they were “really excited about doing something to benefit young people with SEN”.
About 25 people had to be evacuated from the building when the fire, later found to have started accidentally, broke out on the evening of 7 January 2025.
In a post on social media, Cogan recalled the “devastating day” the fire destroyed the business which they had been running for 13 years.
“I’ll never forget the feeling that I had running up King Street and seeing our beautiful restaurant on fire – even now it brings tears to my eyes thinking about it.”
The pair said the past year had been “a long, stressful and difficult time”.
The roof has been replaced and work on the interior of the building is set to begin.
Following the fire, with no income, the pair returned to their former careers.
Cogan worked with children with special educational needs (SEN) in Dorchester, and Kay had been a careers advisor in Sherborne.
The pair are seeking to “combine both passions” when the building is back in use and create a new Post-16 Training Centre, focussed on hospitality and retail, for students with SEN.
Plans for the building include a kitchen, workshop and classroom space where students will be taught English and maths as well as employability skills.
“This will provide young people with SEN an opportunity to benefit from a real work environment alongside teaching,” they said in a statement.
“With the intention of developing work experience opportunities in other locations around Weymouth or close to where they live.”
Under the plans, a community café, Sea-Saw, would serve food prepared by students, giving them experience of catering and service skills.
A not-for-profit community interest company would see any profits from Sea-Saw going to supporting students, with burger nights raising money for a range of local charities.
It is hoped the new café and training centre could be open by September.
