Emory restaurant owners respond to fire loss

EMORY, Texas (KLTV) - A popular East Texas restaurant caught fire last night with customers still inside.

It happened at Sidekicks restaurant on TX-19 in Emory during the Friday dinner rush.

“I hate to see what my parents worked hard for. I grew up here. This was my whole life,” said the restaurant owners’ daughter Danielle Patton.

The Patton family had operated Sidekicks restaurant for 12 years, and in a few minutes last night, it was gone.

“We came in the back door when I first got here, I saw the fire up in the ceiling,” said owners David and Linda Patton.

“I didn’t believe it until I pulled up. I left my business on the other side of town to come and see what was going on,” said son Keith Patton.

This fire happened with a full house of customers. Staff did everything they could to get everyone out unharmed.

“There were 35 people in the back room, and the front was full. They did a good job of getting people out,” David said.

The Pattons tried to salvage whatever they could from the burned-out shell: pictures from their military wall-of-honor, some furniture and keepsakes.

With 23 employees, the Pattons want to help those who now find themselves without jobs.

“The concern was for my employees. Christmastime. That’s what’s scary,” Linda said.

“They’re not employees to me; they’re my family. They came together and did a good job. It’s the holidays, and all I care about is them. They have kids. It’s Christmas,” Danielle said.

No one was injured, and the cause of the fire remains unknown at this time.

A “GoFundMe” page has been set up on the Sidekicks Facebook page to help their employees.

The Pattons are insured but don’t know at this time whether they will rebuild.

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