Fire destroys former Tampa fire captain's restaurant

Tag : decorative hat

TAMPA — After a Tampa Fire Rescue captain was forced out ofhis job in 2005, he said he poured everything he had into the NuevoCafe in South Tampa.
He worked there five days a week serving devil crabs, Cubansandwiches, beans and rice just like his grandparents and otherfamily members had in the restaurant business before him.
"It was something that I had always wanted to do to begin with,"said Al Suarez, "and it had a great following."
A fire early Thursday destroyed that business, causing at least$500,000 in damage. Fire officials blame an electrical short at thecafe, 3301 S Dale Mabry Highway. They say the fire started in theright front portion of the building when a decorative lightmalfunctioned.
A passerby noticed the fire and called authorities. The restaurantwas closed at the time, and no one was injured.
Suarez said he has talked to the landlord and insurance company andplans to rebuild.
Suarez, a 20-year veteran of Tampa Fire Rescue and former presidentof the firefighters union, was fired in 2005 for his role in afirehouse photo shoot featuring two strippers. A six-weekinvestigation into the Oct. 17, 2004, shoot at Fire Station 21 inNew Tampa concluded that Suarez organized the shoot with twostrippers who performed weeks later at his bachelor party.
On Thursday, arriving firefighters contained the fire to the frontof the Nuevo Cafe, sparing the restaurant's kitchen, Tampa FireRescue Capt. Bill Wade said in a statement.
"They really did just a fantastic job with the fire, Suarez said ofthe firefighters. "My hat's off to them."
Tampa Fire Marshal Todd Spear saw no need for an independentinvestigation into the fire's origin given Suarez's past with thefire department, Wade said. Spear's office sent three investigatorsto the cafe, who all ruled the fire an accident. Witness statementsalso back that assessment, Wade said.
Times researcher John Martin contributed to this report. JustinGeorge can be reached at (813) 226-3368 or jgeorge@sptimes.com.

[Last modified: Jul 10, 2008 11:43 PM]