SOUTHFIELD (WWJ) - A blaze destroyed and shuttered a popular Metro Detroit Coney Island restaurant, and officials are trying to piece together what happened.
WWJ's Mike Campbell said the Kerby Coney Island in Southfield, right on the Northwestern Highway Service Drive at 10 Mile Rd. and Evergreen, went up in flames before midnight on Tuesday.
The fire badly damaged the exterior of the building, with outside walls blackened by the flames and windows broken.
Manager Kifah Bazzi said they're stumped as to how the fire broke out, as employees locked up and left like usual when the store closed.
"I still cannot believe it," he said . "It's very sad, very sad, very sad. I feel sorry for the store. I feel sorry for us. I feel sorry for the owner and I feel sorry for the customer. They come here every day for 30 years."
Bazzi told Campbell that he's been at manager with the restaurant for 32 years, but he's been with the company for 39.
The manager explained that the staff will be OK in the aftermath since the restaurant is part of a company with 19 locations. More than likely, Bazzi said they will work for a nearby restaurant on Telegraph and Franklin.
There were no reports of injuries. No customers were inside at the time of the fire. The store was scheduled to open at 6:20 a.m.
The fire department is still investigating the incident. The cause of the fire currently remains unknown.
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