Published: March 02, 2009 09:57 am      

Weatherford landmark restaurant burns

Galen Scott

gscott@weatherforddemocrat.com

Wanda’s Restaurant, at 1503 Fort Worth Highway in Weatherford, caught fire shortly before 11 p.m. Friday, according to Weatherford Fire Chief George Teague.

Teague said the dining room at Wanda’s suffered minor smoke and heat damage, but the kitchen area was heavily damaged.

After performing closing duties, an employee leaving the restaurant noticed flames protruding from the building near a vent pipe, according to a fire department report.

A short time later, Junior Crooks, the restaurant’s owner, called for help.

“When we got there, there was fire coming out the roof in two places,” Teague said.

It took firefighters approximately 30 minutes to get the blaze under control, according to Teague.

Based on witness statements and what firefighters saw of the burning building itself, Teague said the fire likely started near the restaurant’s smoker, which was up against the main structure.

Crooks said he recently spent $11,000 on a stainless steel vent-a-hood and was 99 percent complete remodeling his kitchen. He said the vent pipe where the fire likely started was scheduled for cleaning the following morning.

“I was about 12 hours from this thing not ever happening,” he said.

Wanda Ogle, the restaurant’s namesake and manager for 27 years, could not be reached for comment Monday.

Ogle’s granddaughter, Amy Malone, said her grandmother suffered from anxiety and was taken to a hospital the night Wanda’s burned.

“She’s doing pretty good, considering the circumstances,” Malone said of her grandmother. “That [restaurant] was her life, you know?”

Malone said the Weatherford community is helping her family out. She mentioned a donation from the nearby Mesquite Pit restaurant, where a fire occurred several years ago.

For now, Crooks said he is planning to rebuild, either in the same building or a new location, though he noted people are going to be out of work for a while.

“I’ve got about 20 employees that could use some help, know what I mean?” he said.

The building was once a miniature golf course and arcade.