CONCORD, N.C. — Firefighters are continuing to investigate an early morning fire that destroyed a popular restaurant, the Concord Diner.

Reports came in around 5 a.m. Wednesday that the diner was engulfed in flames.

Community members are now speaking out about their fondest memories there.

Former Concord High School football coach E.Z. Smith says he ate at the diner as a young boy and continued doing so into his adult life. The at-home environment is something he says he'll miss most.

“It’s not just a restaurant, it was family-oriented. You could bring your children in. If you were a high school or a college student or young adult, you could bring a date. You could bring your wife, you felt comfortable," Smith says.

Two separate gofundme pages have been set up to help both the owner's family and the diner's employees. You can find them by clicking here and here.

The gofundme.com site is not managed by Spectrum News 1. For more information on how the site works and the rules visit  http://www.gofundme.com/safety.