Donations pour in after beloved Beaufort County food truck catches fire
Donors have raised nearly $10,000 for a Bluffton-based mobile pizza business after its food truck caught fire Friday evening.
The food truck that houses The Southern Peel’s brick oven was heavily damaged in the fire around 7 p.m. Friday while parked near the intersection of Savannah Highway and Parris Island Gateway in the Port Royal area. Photos showed firefighters rushing to the vehicle as flames poured from the truck’s passenger compartment.
Crews quickly extinguished the flames and no injuries were reported, according to the City of Beaufort/Town of Port Royal Fire Department.
But the fire damaged some of The Southern Peel’s “essential equipment” and left employees unable to carry out daily operations, according to a GoFundMe that says it is raising money to help the business recover and replace what was lost.
With 102 donations as of Saturday afternoon, the online fundraiser has raised nearly $10,000 of its $13,000 goal.
“As a small business, The Southern Peel relies heavily on their truck to serve customers and keep their business running,” the fundraiser’s description says. “Without it, their ability to operate and generate income has been severely impacted.”
Founded in 2020, The Southern peel operates its pizza kitchen out of a turquoise 1953 Chevrolet that has been restored and customized. The mobile eatery offers catering for weddings, birthdays and other events, according to its website.
First responders shut down one lane of traffic on Savannah Highway (S.C. 128) as they responded to the fire, the fire department said.
