PHOTOS: T.C.'s Lounge to Reopen 'Eventually'

Owners of T.C.'s Lounge definitely plan to reopen after - but they don't know when.

"We really have no idea," said bartender Courtney Allender. Damage is estimated at $250,000, and they're waiting to hear from their insurance company before starting repairs.

The fire was caused by an electrical short circuit in a beer cooler around 4:30 p.m. - just hours before a major, unrelated transformer fire that left the Back Bay in darkness for days.

Built in 1970, the popular dive bar contains 42 years of history, and is chock full of memorabilia from friends and customers. Thankfully, most of it was saved, Allender said.

"We want to keep it as close to  the original as we can," Allender said about when they reopen.

But it was in a sad state last week. The bar was in shambles from when firefighters sawed it apart to access the fire. The quirky culture the establishment was known for was unrecognizable with the debris piled across the floor. Only a handful of photos still decorated The Wall of Fame. 

The good news is it's not as bad as it looks.

"Probably most of the posters will have to go,"  Allender said, glancing at the ceiling covered in peeling images of movie scenes and celebrities.

But most of the memorabilia, including the photos from The Wall of Fame, will be cleaned and put back up. 

"It doesn't look it, but we were really lucky," Allender said. The majority of the damage is cosmetic, so it's just a matter of doing repairs.

"It could have been a lot worse," Allender said. "And we're glad all our neighbors are OK."