Iron Horse Fire Damage in Photos

The owner of in Westwood is adamant that his eatery will reopen with a brand new kitchen after a .

"I will be back," Lee Tremble said. "This wasn't my exit plan."

Tremble said he hopes to reopen by Thanksgiving, which he estimates to be the earliest it could happen. Right now he said he doesn't know how much damage the eatery has sustained, but said the kitchen was destroyed.

From the outside, The Iron Horse looks the same as it did before the fire and aside from the smell of smoke upon entering, no one would know there had been a fire because the dining area looks the same as well. But the kitchen area is a different story, with debris scattered on the floor, holes in the ceiling and exposed wiring.

Tremble said when he does reopen, it will be with brand new kitchen equipment, which will ensure it "will be back as good as ever."

Tremble's son Sean was one of the first to arrive at the restaurant after the fire. He said two employees and two members of the cleaning crew were on site when the fire started. The employees were doing their final walkthrough of the restaurant before leaving when the fire was spotted. Sean said the bartender called 911 and that emergency personnel were on the scene quickly.

Sean said he arrived 15 minutes after getting the call around 12:30 a.m. Sunday and there were already three Westwood fire trucks and police at the restaurant.

"Their response time was what saved this building," Sean said.

He said the fire was out within 10 to 15 minutes and that firefighters took an extra three hours to make sure there were no hotspots and no areas that would reignite.

Sean said there is no use getting upset and nothing more to do except work to reopen. He said if the restaurant can be open by the Home for the Holidays parade Dec. 3, it would be "the biggest morale booster."

While The Iron Horse has been open since 1972, the building is much older, constructed in the late 1800s, Sean said. The original tin ceilings were in the kitchen at the time of the fire. Now the kitchen must go through a redesign.

The cause of the fire is still unknown, but Lee Tremble said it has been classified as a kitchen fire.

While The Iron Horse is closed, Lee encourages people to eat at other local restaurants in Westwood, many of whom have called and offered him support after learning about the fire.

He is grateful for the outpouring of support from the community, including 100 former employees who have stopped by.

"The feeling of warmth of the community has already become very apparent. There is a genuine concern about us. People are being incredible," Lee said. "It's very humbling."

His employees said he has kept others in mind throughout the ordeal. Pat Kelleher, who has worked at The Iron Horse for 26 years, said Lee was worried about his staff and the customers who had booked parties at the eatery Sunday. She said he was on the phone Sunday morning to make arrangements for the parties at other local eateries.