On Wednesday, demolition crews finally did what January’s fire started, tearing down Lucky B's, the longtime Lincoln Avenue bar and grill that had been gutted in the blaze. Heavy equipment bit into the brick and wood along the border of Derry Township and Latrobe while neighbors, regulars, and former staff lined the sidewalk to watch. For many, the teardown felt like the last chapter for a neighborhood hangout that had anchored the block for decades.
Owner Tony Wig stood by as crews worked and said inspections showed the building "just wasn't savable." He told CBS Pittsburgh the demolition should be wrapped up by Thursday and that there are no immediate plans for what comes next on the now-empty lot.
How the blaze unfolded
The fire started shortly before midnight on Jan. 25. Crews were called at about 11:40 p.m., and all four people who lived in the three apartments above the bar escaped without injury, as reported by WPXI. Firefighters fought heavy smoke and flames in frigid, subzero conditions, and the restaurant and upstairs units were later declared a total loss, according to WTAE. Local coverage at the time captured the community’s shock, with Lucky B's Engulfed in Flames documenting early reaction as the fire burned.
Staff and regulars remember
As the building came down, former employees and regulars stopped by the fenced perimeter to snap photos and say a quiet goodbye. "I miss it," former employee Anna Evancho told CBS Pittsburgh while watching the excavators finish what the fire started.
What comes next
The owners say they will weigh their options once the debris is cleared. Earlier reporting noted the business employed roughly 25 people and had planned to work with its insurance to explore possible reopening, according to WPXI. For now, the teardown closes a long-running chapter on Lincoln Avenue, leaving a gap on the block and neighbors waiting to see what, if anything, rises on the cleared parcel.
