A fire in Gravesend destroyed a community restaurant on Kings Highway.

Eli Mishanie, the manager of Akimori, told News 12 that he's still in shock.

"It's devastated to see the whole kitchen almost gone, but we just have to rebuild and more for the future," said Mishanie.

Mishanie said it happened around 4:15 p.m. He says he started to smell smoke and realized the back of the building was on fire.

Mishanie also told News 12 that while the front of Akimori has no damage, the kitchen is completely destroyed.

Fire marshals were also at the restaurant trying to piece together what happened. The restaurant will be closed for a few weeks, but the workers said it could be a blessing.

"There's always room to grow, it could be a wake-up call could be an opportunity to grow even more and make the business even stronger," said Mishanie.

No injuries have currently been reported.