OLYMPIA, Wash. -- The return of the Ranch House BBQ to its home west of Olympia has been delayed by fire.

The decades-old restaurant off State Route 8 near Summit Lake was ruined by a mudslide nearly a year ago. The business was relocated to downtown Olympia while a new place was rebuilt at the original site, but the roof was destroyed by fire on Sunday.

Nobody was inside and there were no injuries. The cause remains undetermined, but McLane Fire Department spokeswoman Davie Kendall says hot roofing material may have ignited the insulation.

Operators of the classic Ranch House BBQ Restaurant say two disasters in one year won't stop them from re-opening even as they're preparing to sue the state over the mudslide.

Co-owner Amy Anderson says the walls can be salvaged, and she hopes to reopen in the original location next month. Still, she says, "If it wasn't for bad luck, I guess I wouldn't have any luck at all."

"We just were in shock," said general manager Melanie Tapia. "We just couldn't believe it. It's not even been a year since the original disaster and here we are back again."

The December storm that caused such widespread damage around the region sent mud sliding right into the restaurant.

Down, but not out, the restaurant re-opened with a little fanfare from the governor at a temporary location at a downtown Olympia hotel. But their goal was always to rebuild the Ranch House right where it was off of Highway 8, a few miles west of downtown Olympia.

"This place screams barbecue. It truly screams barbecue. Now it's a smokehouse more than ever," said Anderson.

Anderson is the secret behind the success of Ranch House BBQ. She's won several competitions worldwide with her skill in the kitchen.

She's heartened by the skill of the construction workers who vow to get the fire damage fixed and the place opened around New Years.

"They're working right now. And they're going to make it right. I mean, it's amazing," she said.

The place has been around since the 1950s and the plan is to bring the restaurant back to its original form.

"It's very country, red-checked gingham curtains and a lot of wood," Tapia said.

The owner filed a claim against the state in July stating the state lands above the restaurant are to blame for the mudslide. If the state doesn't settle, a $2-million suit will be filed by Dec. 3, the one-year anniversary of the slide.