Jennifer Biggs, and Yolanda Jones

The Commercial Appeal

The fire that started early this morning at Elwood’s Shack on Summer Avenue was caused by a television, owner Tim Bednarski said.

“The damn TV in the dining room caught on fire, of all the things to happen,” he said.

Bednarski said he arrived early to prepare for breakfast, went into the restaurant, turned on the television, made coffee, then went to his office next door to check email. When he came back about 15 minutes later, the dining room was in flames. The Memphis Fire Department report estimated the damage around $15,000 and said there was no sprinkler system in place.

The flames went up to the attic and the dining room is destroyed, he said.

“But luckily it didn’t get to the kitchen. There’s a fire wall there, but also, the fire department got here real fast. It didn’t seem it at the time, but it was and they got it under control quick. They even rescued some of my deer heads.”

The Memphis Fire Department responded to a call at 5:27 a.m. at the restaurant at 4523 Summer Ave. The fire was under control at 5:41 a.m. No one was injured.

Bednarski said he’ll likely be closed for a few weeks.

“I just don’t know the extent of what needs to be done yet,” he said. “But we’ll get it done fast as soon as we figure it out.”

And he knows who he’s going to feed first.

“I think every fireman in Memphis showed up and they were great. I told them I don’t know when it’ll be, but lunch is on me.”