AML Foods yesterday denied reports that Monday’s blaze, which “completely” destroyed both its Solomon’s Old Trail and Cost Right Nassau locations, originated in the former store’s generator room.

The BISX-listed food retail and franchise group, in a statement, while confirming that it was “devastated” by the loss of both stores instead hinted that the fire may have resulted from construction work that was taking place at the adjacent Department of Labour building “in the vicinity of a fuel tank”.

“While the exact cause of the fire is still under investigation by the relevant authorities, we can confirm that the fire did not originate in the generator room at the Solomon’s Old Trail location contrary to recent media reports,” AML Foods asserted. “In fact, we confirm that as of this [Tuesday] morning, the Solomon’s generator and electrical room, which were not affected by the fire, remain intact and operational.

“We understand that immediately before the fire, construction work was being carried out at the rear of the Department of Labour building in the vicinity of a fuel tank. We can also confirm that this construction work was in no way affiliated with Solomon’s or Cost Right.”

AML Foods reaffirmed that employees from both Solomon’s Old Trail and Cost Right are being redeployed to other stores within the group to ensure no jobs are lost. It is also exploring how Cost Right’s products can be temporarily offered at its Solomon’s Yamacraw store as well as through its website. Customers are also being redirected to order online from Solomon’s Yamacraw.

“It is with heavy hearts that we confirm that it appears that both Solomon’s Old Trail and Cost Right Nassau have been completely lost due to the fire that occurred yesterday [Monday],” AML Foods said. “While the damage to the building is significant, we are incredibly thankful to report that all staff and customers were safely evacuated before the fire spread.....

“While we are devastated by the loss of our stores, our commitment to our employees and the community is as strong as ever. We have activated our business continuity plan, and our team members are being temporarily relocated to work at our nearby store locations to ensure job security and minimise disruption to their lives.

“As a resilient team, we are already actively exploring the next steps, including plans to rebuild, and will keep the community informed as these efforts move forward. Our assets are fully insured, we have begun discussions with our partners, and we are confident that we will fully recover from this.”