Owner Of Tequila Grill Surveys Fire Damage

Plywood sheets covered the entry of the Tequila Grill on East 14th Street Tuesday morning as owner Rafael Hernandez considered how to rebuild after the fire that gutted the family-owned business he has run for nine years.

"Now we have to work with the insurance company," Hernandez told Patch.

The San Leandro resident said he had been awakened at about 2:30 am by fire officials who had  a two-alarm blaze that left one firefighter mildly injured. The firefighter has been released.

Firefighters won't be sure until they finish an investigation, but the visual evidence suggests that the blaze began in a dumpster behind the restaurant and crawled up the back roof of the establishment.

The interior of the restaurant was soaked as firefighters brought the blaze under control. Hernandez met out back to plan his next moves, including the vital assesment by his insurance carrier.

Recovery from fires can be arduous. It took Valentin and Martha Reynoso two years to re-open San Gaspar Restaurant after an electrical fire.

Hernandez said it's too soon for him to know when he can get back to business again.

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