Flames consumed a family-built dream Monday, leaving an Arlington owner searching for hope and support.
ARLINGTON, Texas — For Abbas Fares, looking at the charred remains of his restaurant means confronting a future he no longer recognizes.
“These were the two main doors, we had a banquet hall here,” Fares said, gesturing to what remains of Beirut Grill, the Lebanese restaurant he spent years building on West Abram Street.
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“I see the future is gone,” he said.
The restaurant’s kitchen is destroyed. The business burned to the ground on Monday, part of a fire that tore through a shopping strip near South Bowen Road and required more than 80 firefighters to control.
“We came right away. It was a big scene. I’ve never seen something like that before. We’re still shock,” Fares said.
Arlington business owners Bobby King and Kait Thibeaux watched helplessly as flames destroyed the businesses they had worked to build. Kait Thibeaux had stopped by to drop off books when she saw the fire and immediately grabbed her phone.
“And I called Bobby and said, I think our store is on fire,” Kait Thibeaux said.
Fares watched as crews worked to save his restaurant and the surrounding businesses. Next door, El Gabacho owner David Govea was watching too, after smelling smoke inside his own restaurant.
“You never think of anything going wrong,” Govea said.
Govea said he initially thought the smell was coming from his own kitchen — until he saw firefighters and smoke coming from next door.
“It’s just sad, because those are good people over there,” Govea said.
Michael Franzen, a customer and neighbor, said he rushed to the scene as soon as he heard.
“The food was over the top delicious. It delivered every time,” Franzen said.
Govea and Franzen say they’re now hoping the Arlington community will step up to support the small businesses affected by the fire.
“If I can help, I will,” Govea said. Franzen said he doesn’t want this to be the end for Beirut Grill. “The portrait has burned, but the artistry is still there,” he said.
For Fares, the road ahead is uncertain.
“We lost a lot of memories, but we still have a good experience with a lot of people, and we are depending on them,” he said.
Beirut Grill says it did not realize at the time that insurance on the property had lapsed, meaning the business is not covered for damage from the fire. The restaurant has started an online fundraiser to help with recovery costs.
And after a devastating week of deadly fires, multiple grass fires burning out of control, and families and business owners losing so much across North Texas, firefighters are hoping for fewer calls for help before another fire leaves another family grieving someone they love.