RUSSELLVILLE, Ark. — An early morning fire sparked on Tuesday and destroyed the Old South restaurant in Russellville. Now, the owners have been left to figure out what's next for the historic business.
The restaurant first opened in 1947 and the owner explained that it has been a staple in the community ever since.
"It's just part of life in Russellville. And it'll be missed," Old South Co-owner, Zach Summitt said.
Summitt and his dad, Dale have owned Old South for 9 years and were surprised to wake up to the news of the fire.
"Just kind of shocked right now. Just trying to figure out what the next steps are," Summitt added.
The Russellville Fire Department responded to the fire at the restaurant around 12:30 a.m. and spent most of the morning working to put out the flames.
"It was a long process to secure the building and make sure it didn't spread," he explained.
Russellville's Fire Marshal said the cause of the fire is still under investigation, but thankfully nobody was inside.
"We're very grateful for that. God was gracious to us," he said.
Longtime Russellville resident, Michael Bynum said he's grateful for all the memories at Old South.
"The Old South has been a part of, you know, was a part of my upbringing. My grandpa used to take me there all the time," Bynum said.
His grandpa, F.W. Bynum spent so much time at the restaurant that when he passed away in 2010 staff put his picture up in his usual corner booth.
"It was the picture that was used whenever he was inducted into the 1999 Arkansas Sports Hall of Fame. So that was a pretty special thing for us," he explained.
Now, Bynum holds onto those happy memories despite the fire's devastation.
"It was very sad, because, you know, that place meant a lot to people. And it reminds you that you can't take for granted all those small places in your community. Because those are places where memories are made," he said.
While Summitt figures out what to do next, he has had the community backing him up every step of the way.
"Russellville is a great community. They're one of the kindest communities I've lived in," he added.
Summitt said his top priority is making sure his 50 employees are taken of. Anyone interested in helping can donate through The Russ Bus organization by clicking here.
