AUSTIN, Texas — Firefighters knocked out a fire early Wednesday morning at the Patrizi's location along Cuernavaca Drive in West Austin.
Nic Patrizi, one of the restaurant's owners, told KVUE that the fire sparked in the shed directly behind the restaurant, but fortunately didn't spread to the restaurant itself.
Patrizi closed down for lunch, but by around 4:30 p.m. Wednesday, it was back open.
Patrizi said neighbors and staff helped him knock down the shed as they worked to clear out the debris and charred material left behind from the flames.
"We've become a neighborhood staple, and so it's important for us to stay open," Patrizi said.
He said he first learned of the fire from neighbors who spotted it early Wednesday morning.
"The main thing is, a big thanks for the neighborhood, for one seeing it, noticing it so early in the morning [and] the quick response from the CE-Bar firefighters," Patrizi said. "It could have been worse."
Patrizi's originally opened back in the 1940's in Beaumont, serving the area for 50 years before reopening in the Austin area.
The restaurant currently serves customers in two locations: on Cuernavaca Drive and on Manor Drive. The Cuernavaca Drive location has been open for roughly two years, and Patrizi hopes to keep serving the community for as long as possible.
"It's been really nice to see everyone's concern, and ... it's like half the neighborhood knew about it before I did, so it's good to be part of this community," Patrizi said.
KVUE reached out to the CE-Bar Fire Department for more information about what sparked the fire. Officials said it is still under investigation.