Tiffany Parnes had worked at Rooster’s Roadhouse in Collier for only a couple of weeks.

But she sensed something special about the historic tavern, from its wood-paneled walls and game room’s high-backed chairs to the homemade, honey jalapeno-flavored relish in which it marinated its Buffalo wings every Wednesday.

“Their food wasn’t normal ‘bar food,’ it was home-cooked meals (such as) shepherd’s pie, chicken pot pie, things you wouldn’t normally see at a bar,” said Parnes, 38, of Crafton, who was transitioning into a bartender job at the tavern. “The place felt like home. It was definitely a hidden gem.”

The Thoms Run Road tavern, which traced its roots back to the 1800s, caught fire around 3 a.m. Wednesday. Firefighters from 10 local departments responded to fight the two-alarm blaze, but the building was destroyed.

The Allegheny County Fire Marshal is investigating the cause of the fire, a Collier firefighter said Thursday.

Bruce and Jeannette Payne bought the tavern, along with the 13,625-square-foot lot on which it sat, for $75,000 on Jan. 5, 2011, Allegheny County property records show.

The couple, who reportedly do not use cellphones, lived in an apartment above the tavern, Parnes said. It previously housed a small hotel. Lore has it that the tavern had been a brothel and housed funeral viewings in years past.

Parnes’ boyfriend went to the site where the tavern’s ruins sat around 10:30 a.m. Wednesday. He saw the Paynes sitting in a car nearby in their robes and sweatpants.

“They don’t even have a toothbrush,” Parnes said. “They had, literally, the clothes on their backs. Their whole life went up in flames.”

Parnes said Rooster’s regulars have been calling her cellphone since Wednesday morning to offer help. She said she was hesitant to start collecting anything — or signing up for a GoFundMe page — until she gets the Paynes’ blessing.

The Paynes couldn’t be reached Thursday for comment.

“I don’t think they realize the community they’ve served for so long is trying to help them,” Parnes said. “They made everybody feel at home. And I’m sure everybody wants to give back.”

The first call about the fire came in just after 3 a.m. Wednesday, the Presto Volunteer Fire Department said on its Facebook page.

Firefighters said they battled the blaze for more than seven hours. It still was smoldering late Wednesday afternoon.

“Despite aggressive initial interior operations, the building was a loss and our thoughts go out to the owners,” the firefighters wrote on social media.

The volunteers who assisted in fighting the fire includes ones from Mt. Lebanon, Kirwan, Bridgeville, South Fayette, Oakdale and Bethel Park.

Local businesses also contributed. Big Guys Pizza in Bridgeville donated six large pizzas to feed the firefighters. Dunkin’ in Collier gave four dozen donuts.

Parnes said Thursday she was feeling a lot of remorse about her new workplace. She recalled hanging Christmas decorations with Jeannette Payne recently for the tavern’s holiday party. The event was scheduled for next week.

“There’s a lot of history behind that place,” she said. “It’s a place you’ll never see again.”

Justin Vellucci is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Justin at jvellucci@triblive.com.