TOLEDO, OH (Toledo News Now) - Toledo Fire crews battled a blaze at a popular soul food restaurant in central Toledo Sunday evening.
Firefighters says the fire started around 8:30 p.m. at the Serenity Soul Food Restaurant located on Nebraska Avenue near Collingwood Blvd.
People who regularly ate at the restaurant say they are very sad to see that the place has been destroyed.
"My heart just dropped when I heard it," said Prentiss Anderson, an old customer. "This is one of the premier soul food restaurants in this city."
Fire officials say when firefighters arrived on the scene the restaurant was fully engulfed in flames and lots of smoke filled the air.
"The building collapsed in two different areas during the extinguishment process," said Lt. Matthew Hertzfeld of Toledo Fire & Rescue. "Since it was deemed unstable at that point that's when we requested city buildings to come in and along with us determine the building needs to be taken down."
The fire caused around $70,000 in damage. People who loved the Serenity Soul Food Restaurant say the owners would feed the hungry in the community as well.
"It will be sorely missed," said Anderson. "It will be not only by the paying customers but those who could not afford to eat."
