Fire rips through popular Punta Gorda restaurant

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PUNTA GORDA, Fla. – Two Brothers Homestyle Cooking Bar & Grill in downtown Punta Gorda was a popular spot.

“Good blues bands on the weekends. Sometimes during the week,” said Michelle Justice, a local business owner. “He had a pretty good business over there.”

A fire broke out just before 5 a.m. Thursday, destroying the inside. The kitchen is charred, the open sign that once hung in the window is now part of the rubble and the parking lot that is normally packed with cars is taped off.

This afternoon, crews boarded up the windows and began cleaning up the mess. Another area business owner said he initially thought it was his restaurant going up in flames.

“Doomsday,” said Richard Faria, “I have a very successful, busy restaurant and a big catering company,” he said. “Stuff like that throws your life into a total spin.”

The owner told WINK News there is talk of a benefit to help get his place back up and running.

“This is a wonderful, small-town community,” said Punta Gorda Fire Lieutenant Pyszka, “The local restaurants, the local businesses have already reached out to them.”

No one was hurt in the disaster. Punta Gorda Fire Department officials say it appears the fire was electrical and started in the office area near the breaker boxes, however, the state fire marshal will determine the final cause.

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