TAMPA, Fla. — Miguel Guzman said it only took minutes for his life to change on Saturday night.
"This is my livelihood," he said. "It feels like I'm in a nightmare."
The tiki hut on the outside of his restaurant Mamajuana Cafe Tampa went up in flames. The two-alarm fire was suppressed within 25 minutes, officials said. Hillsborough County Fire Rescue could see the flames from the Veteran Expressway as they headed to the scene.
Live entertainment and music were often specialties for guests both at the hut and inside the restaurant, combined with cuisines rich with flavors from South America and the Caribbean.
"We usually have about 100 covers an hour on Saturday nights. It gets really busy," Guzman said.
However, the business is forced to temporarily close while Guzman scrambles to rebuild.
Guzman said this doesn't just affect him, but the employees he looks after.
"You just want to have a mental breakdown at times, because you just don't know what to do," Guzman said.
Guzman opened the restaurant three years ago. He said it was a longtime goal to open a Latin American venue, where families could dance and enjoy a great ambiance after coming to the area eight years ago.
Despite the difficulties Guzman must now face, he said he is grateful no one was hurt.
"Thank God," Guzman said. "Thank you to my security team. They stayed during the whole night and they helped evacuate everyone out of the premises. The fire department also helped evacuate."
As Guzman and his team work to rebuild, just like a phoenix rising from the ashes, he said he envisions his livelihood coming out of this stronger. He longs to elevate the space as a premier location for weddings, birthdays, and celebrations someday.
For now, he said every message of support is helping motivate him.
"I am giving this my all," Guzman said. "We're going to fight until the end."
No one was reported hurt from the fire and the cause of the fire remains under investigation.