COBB COUNTY, Ga. — The Whitney family was out and about along Paces Ferry Road in Cobb County Thursday morning, when all the fire trucks arrived.
“And I saw smoke and flames. And I was like, oh my gosh! It’s our family’s favorite restaurant,” Radford Whitney told Channel 2’s Berndt Petersen.
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NewsChopper 2 revealed a huge, black hole in the roof of Orient Express in Vinings, best known for the three vintage railroad cars that double as dining rooms. The place sits along some CSX tracks and is in its 46th year.
“This is definitely an experience. The old railroad scenery,” restaurant patron Ivan Perdomo said.
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“We’ve been here 20 years. We live right back there and eat here once every two weeks,” longtime resident Barry Reaves told Channel 2 Action News.
A Cobb Fire Department Captain says an electrician encountered smoke and flames while checking the wiring in the building’s attic. He got out unhurt, as did employees who were setting up for the day.
Radford Whitney is grateful for that, and grateful that the dining cars the restaurant is known for were not damaged.
“It’s so neat. We love watching the trains go by and we hope its up and running sooner rather than later,” Radford said.
The cause of the fire is under investigation. The owner says he’s not sure when they can reopen, but it’ll be as soon as possible.
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