ATLANTA — A popular Atlanta restaurant went up in flames Saturday morning. Dat Fire Jerk Chicken, a Jamaican restaurant on Northside Drive, caught fire after an accident with its grill.
The blaze destroyed a large part of the building, forcing the restaurant to close its doors sadly for now.
Dat Fire has been on Northside Drive, just south of Mercedes-Benz Stadium, for nine years, and during that time, it has become a staple in the community. But after what happened this morning, all that's left is rubble.
“It’s a hard thing to look at... hard thing look at, hard thing to talk about,” said Chef Jay John, the owner of Dat Fire.
He walked 11Alive around the rubble left after the Saturday morning blaze destroyed much of the popular Jamaican restaurant.
“It was an accidental fire in our grilling area here, which obviously you can see the flame engulfed that building, and we had a little damage to the structure as well,” John explained.
Smoke was still smoldering hours after the blaze, and while the building was a loss, John said, luckily, no one was hurt. Still, customers we spoke to said they would feel the impact of the fire.
“It was crazy, it was crazy. It’s tragic. This is one of my favorite restaurants out here,” said Cameron Haugabrook, one of several patrons who stopped by the restaurant wanting to buy food.
Haugabrook said he will definitely miss the jerk chicken.
“I say the food is arguably the best Caribbean food in Atlanta. That’s my opinion, but it’s awesome," he said.
Other patrons echoed the same sentiments.
“The people are amazing. I’m sure they'll have no issue getting back into business or remaining in business," another patron said.
John said that’s exactly what they will do.
“Wood can always be rebuilt, but my spirit and our hearts remain strong.”
As Dat Fire begins the rebuilding process, John said they are happy with the community's love and support. John also launched an online fundraiser for his restaurant and is hoping that with the community's support, they will rebuild as soon as possible.
But in the meantime, John plans on serving customers through the restaurant's food truck on April 22 from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and feature a limited menu.
“Thank you for the love. Thank you for the calls and the prayers. I’ve had a couple of pastors come by here and pray with us, pray for the building, pray for the business, so, you know, just that love right there just makes me feel a lot better,” John said.
During the rebuilding process, you will still be able to get food from Dat Fire Jerk Chicken. The owners said they will have their food truck on site to service customers.