College Park restaurant owners vow to rebuild after the restaurant was destroyed in a fire

COLLEGE PARK, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A popular College Park restaurant is taking stock of what’s left after it was destroyed by a fire Thursday morning.

“It’s just water damage in the front, bar area and dining area,” said Juan Smalls, co-owner of Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen & Bar.

Atlanta News First got a look inside the business after Juan and his co-owner and husband Gee Smalls were granted entry early Friday morning.

According to the College Park Fire Department, the fire started in the galley. It was the second kitchen fire at Virgil’s in the last two months.

“We have to completely gut the kitchen,” Juan said, leading an ANF squad through nearly ankle-deep water and mountains of burned rubble.

It was unclear how the fire started, but the Smalls said it was a grease fire. The restaurant was closed and no one was injured.

Virgil’s on Main St. in College Park is one of three Virgil’s locations in the Atlanta area. The others are in West Midtown and Conyers.

However, the original location was the store on Main Street.

“This is our baby,” Gee said. “That’s our risk.”

The opening came at a time when Main Street itself was being gutted.

“We were one of two restaurants here,” Gee said.

The streets are now lined with restaurants and Virgil’s has become a pillar of the community. Throughout the afternoon, people tried to gain entry to the restaurant only to be shocked to find it closed.

“We’re the party on this street, you know?” Juan said.

There are some remnants of this party. Employees literally took inventory of what was left to save, counting the bottles of alcohol behind the bar. The front of the restaurant was largely spared from the fire, but was drenched by the sprinkler system.

“This is my home,” Gee said. “This is the first place that validates us as entrepreneurs.”

And there is nothing better than home.

“This is kind of our legacy,” Juan said. “Seeing it almost go up in flames illustrates how quickly it can happen.”

The building is insured and the Smalls intend to rebuild it. In the meantime, the workers will be transferred to other locations.

“Appreciate what you have, appreciate the possibilities, appreciate the impact, because tomorrow it could be over,” Juan said.

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