Pete's Fish & Chips destroyed in fire, Phoenix location closed

PHOENIX - A Pete's Fish & Chips is closed indefinitely after a Friday morning fire destroyed the Phoenix building. 

Employees said the location, on Van Buren near 27th Avenue, had been open since 1987. 

Phoenix fire said they received a call just before 2 a.m. When they arrived, flames were shooting out of the roof, a firefighter said. 

It took roughly 20 minutes to put out the fire. 

The structure was still standing, but the inside was severely damaged.  A peek through the window showed a blackened kitchen and it appeared that everything inside was lost. 

A group of 10 people gathered outside the business. Several members of this extended family said they had worked at Pete's Fish & Chips for years.

Kathy Brook, 47, from Phoenix, said she was a manager at this location and worked at Pete's for 36 years.  She felt like she "lost her home."

"I grew up in it," Brook said in tears. "My mom worked in it when I was born."

Brook said three generations worked at Pete's.

It started with her mom Ruth Walden.  "Grandma Ruth"  worked at Pete's for 56 years, the family said.  She passed away two years ago.  Brook said the business meant a great deal to the family because her mother had been a long-time employee.

Brook's brother, her son, and his wife also worked at the restaurant.

The family said they shared many memories at this location, including a family member's wedding several years ago.

Scott McDonald with the Phoenix Fire Department said the cause is under investigation.

Pete's Fish & Chips was established in 1947. There are several locations in the valley.