Fire At Iconic El Paso Restaurant Early Saturday Morning

By Ashlie Hardway

EL PASO — Fire crews were called out to the Central El Paso location of a Chico’s Tacos restaurant.

Emergency dispatchers said reports came in of smoke inside the building around 2:30 a.m. When emergency response crews arrived, smoke could be seen outside the building as well.

Thirty people including customers andemployeeswere evacuated. Seven fire crews took about an hour fighting the fire, which investigators said was caused by an electrical short circuit in a ceiling fixture which ignited wooden beams in the building’s roof structure.

No injuries were reported and the total damage is estimated to be around $45,000. The restaurant’s operators said the Central location would be closed for about a week, but even in the interim, the El Paso favorite has something to brag about.

In a national survey, Chico’s Tacos placed in the Top Ten for customer service. Sandelman Associates conducted the survey, asking customers to rate smaller chain fast food restaurants. Of those surveyed, 51% rated Chico’s Tacos as ‘Excellent.’