Owners touched by support after fire temporarily closes landmark Windsor restaurant
Friday's lunch rush had just dispersed when one of the cooks told Walkers Restaurant owner AJ Reid the deep fryer was overheating.
Reid says he went into the kitchen and turned the fryer off, but it was still getting hotter.
He went to the basement to shut off the power, but by the time he got back upstairs a fire had broken out. They evacuated the few customers left and called 911.
The kitchen and the dining area have sustained significant damage that will force the restaurant to close, likely for several months.
"I'm still shaken up, but today is better than yesterday and tomorrow will be better than today," Reid said.
Owner AJ Reid said the heat from the fire was extraodinary and caused many items such as ketchup bottles and heat pumps to melt. (Josh Hoffman/CBC)
Reid and his partner, Joanne Barnett, bought the restaurant that's been open since 1958 about two years ago.
They aren't from Windsor and they say longtime customers of the restaurant had their suspicions initially. Loyal clientele didn't want the new owners messing with their favourite gathering spot and the food being served, they say.
Reid and Barnett wanted to maintain the community staple, but at the same time, they wanted to add their own flair to the space and menu.
The customers have noticed the hard work they've put in, the new owners say, and they've been embraced by the community.
They say the reaction to the fire by members of the community has warmed their hearts.
"Everybody's been absolutely supportive," Barnett said. "Absolutely amazing. Everybody keeps asking how they can help but unfortunately there's nothing we can do now but wait."
AJ Reid and Joanne Barnett bought the popular restaurant about two years ago. They say the community has fully embraced them. (Josh Hoffman/CBC)
Susan Wright and her husband have been going to Walkers for 10 years.
She says they go four times a week and love what Reid and Barnett have done with the place.
"They brought a little bit of a different vibe to the restaurant and the [regulars] … will still go back there all the time, but now we're seeing new faces."
Wright said the new owners are not only trying to continue a great local service, but they also want to have a positive effect in the community.
Reid and Barnett have started new events at the restaurant, Wright says, and supported important causes in the area.
"They really are a great asset to our community and we really are looking forward to them coming back," Wright said.
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