AKRON, Ohio — Juan Mitchell was a mere two months away from opening a BBQ restaurant that would honor his grandfather, when a fire ripped through the building.
RELATED: Fire damages Akron building housing unopened restaurant, uninsured barbershop
Back in February 2021, Akron firefighters responded to 1239 Diagonal Road where they were quickly met with a fast-spreading fire, which would ultimately destroy a handful of businesses, including the soon-to-be “Reggie Ray’s Smokehouse BBQ.”
Large building fire in Akron overnight. @AkronFiredept still on scene at Diagonal and Mercer with this fire. Multiple businesses are housed inside and likely all have damage. Avoid the area. pic.twitter.com/25PcGsPNrg
— Mike Vielhaber (@MVielhaber) February 26, 2021
Reggie Ray’s Smokehouse BBQ had been a dream of Mitchell’s for years, and after firefighters cleared the area, demolition crews leveled what was left of that dream.
“It kind of destroyed everything and we had to start from scratch,” Mitchelle explained. “It’s kind of heartbreaking because it’s a vacant lot now.”
A year and a half after the fire, Mitchell is preparing to open the BBQ joint five miles away from the original property, located at an old church at 1079 South Arlington Street in Akron.
The restaurant is set to highlight family BBQ recipes, but good luck asking what is in the secret sauce.
“I can’t really say what makes it so special, other than it tastes so good,” Mitchell chuckled.
Several months after the fire, a spokesperson with the Akron Fire Department confirmed to News 5 their investigation into what happened had concluded, without finding a definite cause of the fire.
Mitchell said he’s still dealing with issues with his insurance company from the original property, and was forced to re-raise the money needed.
However, it was more than just his grandfather’s recipe that Mitchell credits for helping resurrect the business: it was his grandfather’s way of life.
“He had a saying: don't be a victim of your circumstances,” Mitchell explained. “That was his mentality. Don’t let obstacles get in your way. If you have a goal, have a vision, make it happen.”
The restaurant is set to open Thursday at 11 a.m.
“I wish he could be here to see it,” Mitchell added. “I would hope he would be proud.”
Mitchell said he also plans on opening an event venue in the rest of the building sometime in the near future.
