VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. — Businesses are starting to pick up the pieces after a massive fire broke out at the Virginia Beach Oceanfront Tuesday night.
Initially, the fire was believed to have broken out at the T-Shirt Factory, but officials with Virginia Beach Fire Department said the fire's origin is unclear.
Firefighters began working around 5:30 p.m., but the fire spread to neighboring businesses a little over an hour later.
The fire badly damaged the T-Shirt Factory, the Maple Tree Pancake & Waffle House, King of the Sea Restaurant, and Lyfestyle Meals. All occupants were accounted for and safe, but the severity of the damage is hitting businesses hard.
So far, two of the affected businesses have taken to social media to address what happened, and what's next.
Maple Tree Pancake House
The Maple Tree Pancake House is a breakfast and lunch restaurant on Atlantic Avenue, and suffered heavy damage in the fire. The store was closed when the fire started, according to a Facebook post, and everyone is okay.
However, the restaurant wrote that it was a "total loss."
"42 years in business and it's gone just like that," the post said.
The family-owned breakfast stop opened in 1981. The restaurant said it appreciates all the messages of support and is thankful for the 42 years of business, but wrote, "...as to what's next, we're not sure."
In a phone interview with 13News Now, the owner, Roulla Lindross, talked about how her family came to the U.S. in the 1970s and worked with their family member's business on 18th Street before opening their own business in 1981.
"There is a history behind this and it's very painful," Lindross said.
Lyfestyle Meals
Lyfestyle Meals is a fresh meal prep company based at the Oceanfront. The business made a Facebook post Tuesday night saying it will be closed until further notice.
According to the post, the company will be working with all paid customers to get them refunds and make sure they don't receive any extra charges until they better understand the building's condition.
The business also thanked the Virginia Beach firefighters battling the fire, and the supportive community that helped build its brand.
Virginia Beach Restaurant Association
The Virginia Beach Restaurant Association (VBRA) also left a message of support for The Maple Tree Pancake House, King of the Sea and the T-Shirt Factory on Facebook.
"An impact to your business such as this can be devastating and we can only imagine the difficulties you are facing," the VBRA wrote.
Atlantic Avenue Association
"The Atlantic Avenue Association, a community organization committed to the betterment of the Atlantic Avenue Resort district, is deeply saddened by the recent fire incident that occurred in our vibrant neighborhood. Our thoughts and sympathies go out to all those affected by this unfortunate event.
The Atlantic Avenue Association stands united with those impacted. We extend heartfelt gratitude to the first responders, the 75 firefighters, and emergency personnel who responded to the incident. Thanks also to the Resort Management Office and others who worked quickly to open all of Atlantic Avenue to our out-of-town guests and local visitors.
We firmly believe in the power of unity and collective action in times of adversity. Together with local businesses, residents, and community leaders, we are committed to assisting in the recovery and rebuilding of our community in any way we can."