COLLEGE PARK, Ga. – The owners of a College Park restaurant promise to rebuild after a fire destroyed the popular eatery and gathering space. Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen and Bar on Main Street is now closed.

This Main Street corridor has become a very popular spot with a variety of restaurants, including outdoor seating, but Friday night will be quiet at Virgil’s after the fire.

“I was actually touched. I didn’t expect it to happen like this, because this is a restaurant, fires happen. It’s not unusual, but when you work so hard to provide a service and experience, it’s very normal to see people go up in flames. Virgil’s Gullah Kitchen and Bar “It’s tough,” the co-owner said.

Juan Smalls said looking at the charred remains of the popular restaurant Friday was emotional.

Smalls says Virgil’s is more than a restaurant. She says it’s a labor of love for her and her husband.

“We opened in 2019 after more than six years of working to create a space where Black, gay, Bisexual, and transgender people in Atlanta felt affirmed, welcomed, and loved,” Small said.

Small’s says the restaurant creates much more besides good food.

“It became a fixture in the community. People got engaged there, got married there. People met friends for life while sitting at the bar,” Smalls recalls.

College Park Fire Department investigators are still investigating the fire that temporarily closed two other restaurants Thursday morning after a suspicious grease fire got out of control.

“Over the last five years, Main Street in the College Park area has experienced a lot of revitalization.

“This is a haven where our people can come and enjoy great food, great service that will give you goosebumps, so to speak,” Smalls said. he explained.

The co-owner said after a moment of despair, he and his partner decided to reopen.

“We were back in bounce-back mode, canceling accounts, calling on contractors to take bids to rebuild so we could offer the College Park community a bigger and better Virgil’s,” he said with a smile.

Smalls expects the rebuild to take two to three months. The restaurant has two other locations in West Midtown and Conyers.