Owner of southwest Atlanta Jamaican restaurant hopeful after fire destroys business

The owner of a popular Jamaican restaurant told Channel 2 Action News they plan to rebuild after their southwest Atlanta business caught on fire Saturday morning.

“I saw it when it was actually on fire right down the street over there,” Elcarbrel Lee told Channel 2′s Elizabeth Rawlins .

According to the chef at the restaurant, the accidental fire started in their smoke shack shortly before noon. He said they were in the middle of grilling food for the day when the fire started and got out of hand.

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By the time firefighters put out the flames, the restaurant was in ruins.

“I was actually on the grill in the area when the fire took over,” Jay John with Dat Fire Jerk Chicken said. “And my first priority was to make sure everyone was safe.”

The owner stayed on site all day to console and comfort restaurant regulars who will now be craving the iconic Jamaican cuisine until they can reopen.

“We will rebuild and we will rebuild better,” John said. “We love you guys, thank you.”

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