Blaze closes Italian restaurant at The Crescent
POPULAR Italian restaurant Rossini is hoping to reopen on June 19 after a fire gutted its kitchen on Friday.
A blaze tore through the family-run eatery at The Crescent development in Hinckley just after midnight.
Firefighters extinguished the flames by 2am, but the kitchen suffered considerable smoke and fire damage.
The entire kitchen will need to be replaced and the restaurant is currently being repainted and cleaned to get rid of the smell of smoke.
Jamie Wheeler, a friend of the owner who is helping to keep customers informed, said all bookings are cancelled up to June 18.
She said: “We are stripping the kitchen out and replacing it fully. The restaurant was not damaged by the fire, but it is being cleaned and repainted to get rid of the smell of smoke.
“We’re in the process of contacting customers who have bookings to keep them informed. But we’re 99.9% confident we can reopen by Sunday June 19.”
The cost of repairs are yet to be determined, she said.
Fire investigators believe the cause was accidental.
Crews from Hinckley, Market Bosworth and Lutterworth used a hose reel, two breathing apparatus and ventilation equipment to tackle the blaze.
A fire spokesman said the kitchen was “severely” damaged by fire and smoke.
The restaurant said in a statement: “Unfortunately due to the amount of work that needs to be completed before we can re-open, we are cancelling all bookings up to and including Saturday June 18.
“We are very much hoping that normal service will be resumed on Sunday June 19.
“We’d like to thank everyone for their support and well wishes.
“If you require any further information please contact the restaurant on Hinckley 614616.”
The smoke is also thought to have affected other nearby units including Cineworld and Tarro Lounge.
The cinema cancelled two of its screenings on Friday morning and transferred some films to different rooms. Tarro Lounge was open to the public as normal.
Steve Atkinson, chief executive of Hinckley and Bosworth Borough Council, said on Friday: “We are very sorry to learn of the fire at Rossini overnight and are pleased that it was dealt with quickly and efficiently by the fire service.
“We are aware that while the physical damage may be minor, the effects of the smoke may take longer to clear.
“The fire service is investigating and is working to establish the cause of the fire.”
Rossini moved into the £60 million leisure and retail complex from Coventry Road, Hinckley, in March.
The opening night saw stars such as Leicester City FC boss Claudio Ranieri and players from the Leicester Tigers rugby squad attend.