Memories in the ashes after the beloved restaurant Gordonsville caught the fire

Smith County, Tenn. (WTVF) – We all have good memories of our favorite on site – maybe it is the café where you got to know your partner, or the restaurant where you said to your parents, you wanted grandparents. For many in Middle Tennessee, a restaurant Gordonsville had the same special meaning. Now it has been destroyed by a fire.

Leah Reynolds, who grew up with the restaurant, informed how the room was more than just one business.

“When we bought the building for the first time, the front door was here and we added this terrace on the veranda,” said Reynolds.

For Reynolds, the building felt like a house in childhood. “I grew up in this restaurant. My parents have the restaurant almost all my life,” she said.

Her parents, Donna and Kevin Jones, opened Timberloft 28 years ago. “We have these generations of families who grew up and worked here,” added Reynolds.

But on Tuesday afternoon, all of these memories got on fire and let Reynolds shocked.

“It's just so sad,” she said visibly upset about the damage. “I have no words for it. No words. But it's so heartbreaking,” said Reynolds.

This is the first time that Reynolds experienced the damage because the family sold the property to Beshoi Botros last month.

“I put my life in this building,” said Botros.

Botros opened the new Loft Texas Smokehouse restaurant two weeks ago.

“I was in the fire,” said Botros. “Electric went out, we couldn't see or breathe. My sales employee had the door open and screamed – so I found a way out. I touched walls.”

Despite the chaos, Botros is grateful that there were no other employees inside.

“It was normal to have kitchen problems. It happens all the time – that's why there is a fire suppression system. And it didn't go,” he said.

Botros also thanked for the quick response from firefighting teams.

“These firefighters, God bless them. Each of them and they go through it,” he said.

But like the heat of a flame, the love of the community is strong for both the new and the old owners of the room.

“Everything I saw from the community only increased,” said Botros.

It is a difficult loss, but botros is driven by the support for reopening.

“We'll do it together,” he said. Reynolds also remains optimistic.

“I really hope that he can rebuild quickly and smoothly,” she said.

Do you have more information about this story? You can send me an e -mail to aaron.cantrell@newschannel5.com