A well-known Cleveland, Tennessee, restaurant family got an unwelcome early Halloween trick when a fire broke out Saturday morning at Jenkins Restaurant and Deli.
A reopening date for the restaurant off 25th Street hasn't been set, but crews are working to complete repairs as soon as possible, Jenkins general manager Doug Flack said Monday.
The fire started around 7:30 a.m. Saturday at the restaurant at 2390 Spring Creek Blvd., Cleveland Fire Department spokesperson Evie West said Monday via email.
When the restaurant opened early Saturday, a fire started "in the area of the fry vats," West said.
The restaurant's fire sprinkler system activated, "but the restaurant's kitchen did sustain extensive water and smoke damage," she said.
The restaurant's owners posted a photo on social media late Saturday afternoon showing commercial crews arriving to start cleaning up.
"Thankfully, there were no injuries," Flack said.
"The quick thinking by our opening prep cook and rapid response by the fire department contained the fire and restricted the damage to the kitchen," he said.
Contributed photo / A fire at Jenkin's Restaurant & Deli in Cleveland, Tenn., that started around 7:30 a.m. Saturday in the area of the fryers caused smoke and water damage to the restaurant on Spring Creek Boulevard off 25th Street, according to restaurant officials and the Cleveland Fire Department. A reopening date is expected soon.(READ MORE: Cleveland, Tennessee, lands $114 million auto parts plant, 197 jobs)
The restaurant, in various locations, has been an institution in Cleveland for more than 38 years, according to information on its website. It presently has a sibling operation in Athens, Tennessee.
"We are currently working with several companies to get repairs done as quickly as possible," Flack said. "We do not have a date set for reopen at this time, but we are hopeful that it will be soon."
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Flack applauded kind words from customers and friends since Saturday's fire.
"We appreciate the outpouring of love and support from our community," he said. "We look forward to seeing our guests back in the restaurant."
Contact Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569. Follow him on Twitter @BenBenton or at www.facebook.com/benbenton1.