COBB COUNTY, Ga. — A pizza shop owner plans to rebuild after flames destroyed his restaurant
The fire broke out late Tuesday night at the Lopardo's New York Pizza and Pasta on George Busbee Parkway in Kennesaw.
Someone driving by saw flames shooting from the restaurant and called 911.
Cobb County firefighters quickly knocked down the flames and kept the fire from spreading to nearby businesses, but the fire still took out the dining area and the bar.
“Our dining room and most of our bar is gone, so we’re going to have to rebuild that,” said owner Scott Rheinhold.
The restaurant opened five years ago and was becoming a popular place to hang out. Rheinhold hopes to re-open in a few weeks.
"We're hard workers," Rheinhold said. "We work 14 hours a day at this restaurant."
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Friends and family helped Rheinhold board up and secure the restaurant Wednesday afternoon.
Authorities believe the fire may have started from an appliance inside the restaurant.
“Probably electrical, maybe a Coke cooler,” Rheinhold said. "The good thing is that it's not human. So it's something we can fix. Rebuild and start over."
The owner said he hopes the community will come out to support him.
“Support us when we reopen, help us out. People who have enjoyed our pizza, cheesesteaks, keep voting one of the best in Atlanta. Just come back,” Rheinhold said. "We make this food. We do it with love. We do it with passion, and we can't wait to get back to it."
Firefighters said no one was inside the building at the time of the fire and no one was injured.