AUSTIN, Texas — Shock, heartbreak and disbelief are some of the emotions community members described Tuesday after seeing Texas French Bread bakery destroyed in a fire.
Jodie Garcia, owner of Jodie's Coiffures, said her shop that sits across the street from Texas French Bread was one of the first standing buildings in the 60s. She remembers the bakery as the Rome Inn.
"I used to have dinner once in a while with friends at the Rome Inn and it was kind of exquisite, but expensive," said Garcia.
A staple for people of all ages to come and go, now completely changed overnight. Jodie and her husband saw the renovations Texas French Bread did firsthand.
"It was doing so well after all the pandemic, they were remodeled, it looked so great. And then overnight it's gone. This time we need to get together because you never know who's next," said Garcia.
Members of the community are now paying their respects to a historic piece of Austin and are holding on tightly to the memories made throughout the years.
A customer of 30 years, Spike Gillespie, said her son basically grew up in the shop. The retired journalist first took him there when he was just a year old, and now he's 31. She said the bakery goes goes deeper than just being a local restaurant.
"It's not just a restaurant, and it's not even just an Austin restaurant, it's that Judy, their mom, she started this. And if I remember right, she started baking in the basement in their West Austin house. So it's like it's an institution," said Gillespie.
Spike said her goal now is to help out the owners. The building is a total loss with more than $1 million in damage.
A GoFundMe has been set up for the bakery.
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