Fire at Paradiso forces the restaurant to temporarily close

FARGO, N.D. (KVRR) – Alarms sounded around three this morning at Paradiso and losses are estimated around $150,000.

The fire closed the restaurant for the day and employees spent all day cleaning, but there is good news for its customers.

“Yeah we’re planning on opening tomorrow. The cleaners are getting everything done. ServPro said we should have the smoke smell and everything out of here by tonight, and tomorrow morning we should start as usual. Obviously not have the wall reconstructed yet, re-open the restaurant from the public and for our staff to come back and work and make some money which we all need right now,” Paradiso General Manager Neil Clouse said.

The front lobby is damaged after witnesses say they saw smoke rising from the restaurant. Fire crews responded by breaking into the front doors and opening part of the roof to extinguish the flames which were put out before it reached other parts of the building.

Paradiso opened in the 1970s and it’s the first time they’ve experienced anything like this.

“One of the longest, locally owned restaurants I believe, we opened in ’79, same owners. Yeah it means a lot to the community I believe. Great place to come with your family, friends and birthdays. It’s my life, I’ve been here since I was 17,” Clouse says.

The effects of it closing for the day were real as a customer tried to come in for a quick lunch.

“I was like ‘Oh, no!’ because I wanted to just have lunch and I never, ever go by myself anywhere so yeah. But it happens, things happen,” Customer Jackie Wells said.

No injuries are reported and the fire is under investigation.