ATHENS, Tenn. – As soon as smoke began pouring through the air vents, Merrill Smith grabbed his lunch and left the restaurant.
Smith, 90, said he’s been dining at the Country Patch every week for more than 15 years, but he wasn’t about to let his food get well done.
On Tuesday, the Athens landmark was ruined by fire. Most of the blaze was confined to the restaurant’s attic, Athens Fire Chief Jim Dyer said, and the building’s roof mostly was gone.
“The fire department said it’s burned beyond repair,” said owner Jimmy Gunn, but that just means it’s time to start over, he said.
His wife was shaken up and taken to a hospital, but was uninjured, he said.
Dyer said that, before the fire, he was planning to have lunch at the Country Patch on Tuesday.
“It’s an Athens landmark,” he said. “Everybody eats here.”
The department received the call about 11:45 a.m., but everyone had evacuated when the units arrived at the state Highway 30 location, Dyer said.
Gunn, who owns the 18-year-old restaurant with his wife, Debbie, said most of the local firefighters who helped put out the fire are regular customers of the Country Patch.
“People come from all over the country to eat here,” Smith said. “The place is ruined. The (owners) worked hard; I hate to see this happen to them.”
A customer smelled something burning and alerted the staff, Smith said.
Gunn said he lifted a ceiling tile to investigate and thick black smoke billowed into the restaurant. The air conditioning unit could be responsible, he speculated.
Dyer said the cause of the fire is still under investigation.