Fort Worth soul food restaurant suffers fire damage, but owner vows to rebuild

The owner of a beloved restaurant in East Fort Worth is looking to the future in the face of devastation.

Nana's Kitchen, located on John T. White Road in East Fort Worth, caught fire Wednesday night.

"I come up and it's a blaze," said owner Toshia Ramsey, who is affectionately known by her customers as Nana.

Although the damage looks bad, Ramsey said she's still grateful.

"No one was injured and the fire department did an outstanding job,” Ramsey said. “They were here and contained it mostly to our storage area. Of course, we have heavy smoke damage throughout the entire kitchen."

She poured her savings into opening the restaurant five years ago.

"It's an unfortunate thing, but I know all things work for the good of those who love the Lord,” Ramsey said. “I'm a believer and I believe God is going to see us through this. It's just a small hurdle."

Ramsey said cooking has always been a passion. She said food is a universal love language and that's why she loved cooking for her customers and even the less fortunate in her community.

"We take a lot of pride in feeding our customers and anybody else,” Ramsey said. “The homeless population that comes this way. On Sundays, you can catch us in the evenings feeding off Lancaster."

The cause of the fire is under investigation. Most of the damage was to a storage area with smoke damage to the rest of the restaurant.

Ramsey assures her customers she will be able to return because she is insured. So, she gives this advice:

"Don't donate to any cause,” Ramsey said. “There's not going to be any barbeques or fire sales or anything like that. We're good. Don't give to any kind of GoFundMe. We are good."

She said the best way to support her is to come get a plate when Nana's Kitchen is back open for business.