TAMPA, Fla. — Cody's Original Roadhouse in Tampa appears to be a total loss after an early Thursday morning fire.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said dispatch received calls around 5:15 a.m. and they sent 13 units to the scene.
"They attempted an interior fire attack, ran hose lines into the structure, were met with heavy fire throughout a majority of the building, and then our incident commander saw the building's integrity, structural integrity starting to deteriorate, backed those firefighters out, and then we went to what's called a defensive operation, where we put those aerial devices up behind me, flowing water into the structure," said Rob Herrin with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue.
A view from above Thursday morning showed thick smoke billowing into the air.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue continued work throughout the day, putting out hot spots, breaking down parts of the building, while employees with tears in their eyes watched on.
"It's just a small community, but it meant so much to a lot of people," said Lucas Amaro.
Amaro used to work at the restaurant and remembers the friends that became family.
"It was like family, always around, and it kinda sucks to see it to the ground, you know?" said Amaro.
HCFR said the restaurant, located on West Hillsborough Avenue, will be demolished for safety reasons.
People in the community stood in the parking lot on Thursday and reminisced of when they'd worked there or eaten at the restaurant and shared good times. Shannon Green said her daughter was a hostess and she herself had been coming to Cody's for years.
"This was ours. This was our location," said Green. "And it's just that thing, you know, oh we're going to Cody's. Everyone knows."
The business took to social media in a post that thanked first responders who rushed to the scene, going on to write: "We remain committed to our brand and our community. Together, we will rebuild and come back bigger and better than before."
HCFR said there are no injuries so far, and the cause of the fire is still undetermined at this time.
When debris from a tractor struck their vehicle on I-75, Denise and Mike Brennan were told by a state contractor that "they will take care of it." Now, more than six months later, the Brennans are still $7000 out-of-pocket for repairs and rentals.
