Stephen Rex Brown The Flea Market Café, hours before it will reopen.Workers at the Flea Market Café have swept up the ashes and are preparing to reopen at 5 p.m. — less than 24 hours after an alleged arson left the eatery a messy crime scene.
While cleaning counter tops earlier today, the manager of the restaurant, Haveen Bonnet, bemoaned the blaze that has been the talk of the neighborhood.
“Two napkins catch on fire and the fire department comes in and smashes everything,” Mr. Bonnet said as deliverymen hauled in fresh loads of food.
The manager added that he had no idea what could have caused the fire, which fire marshals described as “incendiary.”
“I was up all night trying to figure out what happened,” he said. “People were saying someone threw something through a window right before it started.”
The restaurant’s reopening was first reported by East Village Corner.
