Fire has ravaged an acclaimed restaurant on Burnaby Mountain just weeks before wedding season.
The blaze was discovered at about 7:15 a.m. Thursday by a cook at Horizons Restaurant, located at 100 Centennial Way.
"He opened the door and heard a crackling sound, and he called the fire department immediately," restaurant operator Geoffrey Howes told ctvbc.ca.
Eight fire trucks arrived on scene, and the fire was extinguished about an hour later. No one was injured in the blaze, but the restaurant's kitchen was destroyed.
Howes said the damage is extensive and will take about three months to fix. About six planned parties and wedding celebrations will be disrupted.
"We're contacting all of our reservations today," he said. "Anyone who wants to relocate to one of our other restaurants, we'll do everything in our power to accommodate. We'll give them a deal and make sure their day isn't disappointed."
Horizons is run by Toseki Entertainment Ltd., which also operates Aqua Riva in Vancouver and the Salmon House in West Vancouver.
Most of the reservations are scheduled midday on weekends, Howes said, which could prove fortuitous.
"Fortunately, the Salmon House isn't normally open during the day so we've got a lot of flexibility there," he said.
But few restaurants can compare with Horizons' renowned panoramic view of Metro Vancouver and scenic Burnaby Mountain Park surrounding.
The award-winning restaurant is consistently billed as Burnaby's most romantic eatery, Howes said.
"We love the restaurant," he said. "It's a bad time of year. If this had happened in January it would be a more manageable problem."
"But we'll fix it."
Have fond memories of Horizons? Share your stories
Horizons restaurant was known for hosting lavish events, such as wedding receptions and bar mitzvahs.
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