According to owner Angel Espinoza, the fire happened around midnight Wednesday, hours after the restaurant closed, in the back corner of the space with firewood, smokers and ashes, with smoke visible outside the building—seen in several photos online that night from concerned patrons. The restaurant was a total loss.
“Around 9:20 [that evening], my phone just started blowing up, and then the media was all over the place. We were notified through the media,” Espinoza told Chron in a phone call Friday.
He said the City of Greenville Fire-Rescue Department is still investigating the fire and what exactly caused it, but no one was hurt.
“I have a storage room where I keep all my equipment and the ice machine, pots, pans, tools, coolers—all that got damaged,” he explained.
“There are two propane tanks where the fire broke out, and they didn’t even blow up. It could have been a lot worse.”
In the meantime, Espinoza is planning to keep business going with his food truck, which was also spared in the fire. His team will participate in a community event this weekend, but they’re unsure what’s next while the restaurant’s damage is still being assessed.
“Hopefully we can have a good turnout tomorrow and start over again with a little because we’ve gone all week without no work. My workers, they don’t have money, they’re not working, so it’s a lot of pressure on me right now, but I’m trusting God because Fire for the Lord is a ministry before it’s a business.”
Chron has reached out to the City of Greenville Fire-Rescue Department. We will update this story if and when we hear back.
Dining and Cooking