Firefighters were called to Henry's Restaurant about 9:30 a.m. Monday and found flames and smoke coming from the windows of a second-floor apartment in the two-story brick structure. No injuries were reported, and three people who were inside the restaurant at the time escaped unharmed.
Restaurant manager Chris Vasquez said he smelled the smoke before he saw any flames and that it appeared the fire started over the restaurant and bar.
The fire was contained to the second-story apartment. Inspectors who checked the restaurant found that damage to it was minimal, Allen County health department spokeswoman Mindy Waldron said.
John Freistroffer, who has owned the restaurant since 1981, said Henry's has been in his family since 1958.
Freistroffer and Vasquez were visibly distraught as they watched the flames and thick smoke pour from the building.
``It's hard to watch this,'' said Vasquez, who's worked at Henry's for nearly three decades. ``You've got so much in it, and it's gone so quick.''
It took firefighters about 30 minutes to bring the blaze under control. Investigators did not immediately know the fire's cause.
