A kitchen fire early Tuesday morning caused moderate smoke damage at Powers Hamburgers, causing the restaurant to close temporarily, according to the Fort Wayne Fire Department.
According to a statement from the Fort Wayne Fire Department, firefighters were called to the restaurant at 1402 South Harrison Street just after midnight and found a small fire with smoke spreading throughout the building.
Firefighters entered the restaurant through the restaurant's main entrance and arrived on the scene of the blaze, which they said was under control within three minutes, according to the statement.
No one was inside the restaurant when firefighters arrived.
The fire, which is currently under investigation, occurred two weeks before the announced date of its official grand opening. The restaurant had previously announced that a ribbon cutting would take place at 10 a.m. on July 8.
“There will be more news announced within the next 48 hours,” the restaurant said in response to a question over Facebook Messenger about whether the July 8 date would be changed. “At this time, we hope to have all events take place that week other than the ribbon cutting.”
Other events scheduled for that week, Tuesday through Thursday, included a slider contest, a car show and a family fun day.
The restaurant changed ownership in April and closed for a period of time to complete renovations and other transitional procedures.
The iconic restaurant, with a history dating back to the 1940s in downtown Fort Wayne, had been owned by Mike and Gloria Hall since 1999, who put it up for sale in December, and Salvatori Hospitality Group purchased it.
Alex Richardson, the firm's managing partner, said in April that Powers would continue many of the practices, partnerships and relationships with suppliers that have made the restaurants popular.
