A fire outbreak has caused significant damage to Flavors Restaurant and Lounge, a renowned establishment serving soul food in Rocky Mount, early yesterday morning. Firefighting units were summoned to the site at around 7:30 a.m., facing a fierce situation on both floors of the building located at 119 N. Washington St. It took the Rocky Mount Fire Department several hours to keep the blaze in check, which they eventually did by 11:45 a.m., ABC 11 reported.
According to WRAL News, the inferno rendered the interiors of Flavors charred, with burn marks reaching up to the second story. Despite the severe damage, adjacent businesses were reportedly affected by minimal smoke damage. Jeraldo Whitehead, the owner of Flavors, said regarding the incident, "Honestly, I don't even know what to think. This is definitely not how I expected to start my morning." His resolve to rebuild was evident as he claimed, "This will not be the last of Flavors in Rocky Mount."
Further details from CBS 17 indicate that the business did not suffer any injuries as a result of the fire, and none of the surrounding buildings or businesses sustained damage. Whitehead is currently preparing to open a second Flavors location in Greenville within a month and remains committed to reinstalling his culinary presence in the town that suffered the blaze. "I don't know if we're going to rebuild this location or if we'll move to another location in Rocky Mount, but we do in the future look forward to building another Flavors in Rocky Mount," Whitehead said, "This won't be the last of us. We will come back bigger than ever."
The cause of the fire remains unknown as investigations continue. The Rocky Mount Fire Department has not released further information on the subject. Acknowledging the sudden and traumatic occurrence, Whitehead expressed reassurance to his patrons by emphasizing the future prospects of Flavors: "We will come back bigger than ever," he told CBS 17.
