CLEBURNE, Texas — A longtime North Texas Tex-Mex restaurant was destroyed in a fire this week, officials said.
The La Fiesta restaurant at 700 N. Main St. in downtown Cleburne caught fire sometime around 1 a.m., when firefighters were dispatched on a report of smoke in the area, according to the Cleburne Fire Department.
Crews arrived and found "heavy flames venting through the roof" of the restaurant. Firefighters worked through the night and got the fire put out, but the roof collapsed and the building was destroyed.
No one was injured in the fire. Fire officials are still investigating the cause of the fire.
“This was my first job, this is where I met my husband, this is where I created my family,” said Virginia Alcaraz, the operating manager.
WFAA spoke with her on Tuesday as she met several of the employees at the site.
“All our hard work is just lost in one blink of an eye,” she said. The restaurant employed 15 people who are now out of a job. She wants other businesses or restaurants to consider giving her employees a chance to work to continue feeding their families.
She said they don’t know what’s going to happen yet, but she said they are holding onto the memories created in the building.
“The building might be down, but the memories will still be here with us,” said Alcaraz.
The building was a longtime Tex-Mex spot in Cleburne. The Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that the building originally opened in 1973, as the home of Jose's restaurant. Jose's stayed at the location until 2000 when its owners sold the property to La Fiesta.
Cleburne Mayor Scott Cain reminisced about the restaurant in a post on Facebook on Monday.
"Lost," Cain posted with a photo of the building on fire. "LaFiesta (formerly Jose’s) was lost early this morning. No one was injured and our firefighters are all safe after they bravely tried to save the building. Prayers to the owners and employees. Like many others, I waited tables there when I was in high school and had many family meals there. It is a sad day in Cleburne."
The Cleburne Fire Department also paid tribute to La Fiesta on Facebook.
"People will also have many fond memories of eating at La Fiesta!" the department post said. "The drive up North Main will not be the same without that familiar facade!"