SPRINGFIELD, Va. — A beloved restaurant in Springfield, Virginia, is back open following a three-alarm fire that sent patrons rushing to safety during Valentine's Day dinner.
The Feb. 14 fire at Mike's American Grill caused an estimated $200,000 in damage according to firefighters with Fairfax County Fire and Rescue.
"We were fortunate that the fire was contained to the kitchen ductwork, allowing us to open our doors to guests again swiftly," the team at Mike's American wrote in a statement to WUSA9. "We would like to thank our dedicated team for their hard work, the Fairfax County Fire and Rescue teams for their swift action, Fairfax County and our loyal guests for always supporting us."
On Wednesday, the restaurant posted that it is back open on its Facebook page. "Please join is for lunch or dinner," the post reads.
Several people in the comments on the post were surprised by how quickly the restaurant was able to open its doors after the large fire, and excited to come back.
"Glad the fire didn't cause too much damage that would have required a longer close," one commenter said.
"Woo hoo!!! Fantastic news!! Looking forward to coming back asap," another user said.
Approximately 150 customers and 85 employees were inside the building when the fire sparked in the first floor kitchen. No one was injured.
"We had a clear view of the kitchen and we kept seeing the kitchen go up in flames and then one alarm went off and then the other alarm went off," customer Aida Spalding said. "Next thing you know, we were trying to order dessert and the waiter said we had to evacuate. No dessert for us."
Like Spalding, many other diners were forced to leave their vehicles behind and return the next day since fire equipment was blocking the parking lot. Smoke could be seen spewing out from the rooftop.
Spalding said Mike's is a staple for the community.
"I went to high school close by and for everyone in this area, it's really a go-to restaurant," Spalding said.
The cause of the fire is still under investigation, according to firefighters.