A Wanaka restaurant was extensively damaged by fire at the weekend.
The interior of Ode Conscious Dining was engulfed by the blaze early yesterday morning, but head chef and owner Lucas Parkinson is pledging to rebuild.
Video: Lucas Parkinson Ode Wanaka/FacebookFire and Emergency New Zealand spokesman Brent Dunn said the Wanaka brigade was alerted by an alarm sounding at the Ardmore St, Post Office Lane restaurant at 4.07am.
They arrived to find smoke filling the restaurant and called for extra crews from Luggate, Lake Hawea and Alexandra as they commenced firefighting.
"Pretty soon after that they had the fire under control and ventilated the building."
A fire investigator attended yesterday before leaving the scene in the hands of the property owner, Mr Dunn said. The cause was not yet known.
In an emotional video posted on social media yesterday, Mr Parkinson said the damage was extensive and the restaurant would be closed for the foreseeable future.
But he vowed it would reopen.
"The damage can be fixed, and we will fix it. This isn’t the end of Ode."
Photos posted on social media show scorched ceilings, extensive damage to the bar area, and ash and broken glass strewn across blackened floors.
