By Elizabeth Campbell
The Fort Worth Star-Telegram
BURLESON, Texas — When Richard Hodza was awakened by an early morning phone call last month telling him his Italian restaurant was on fire, he immediately thought about helping his employees find jobs until he could rebuild his business.
“It was heartbreaking,” Hodza said, describing the loss of Villa Dianna, which sits on the outskirts of town at 2475 E. Renfro St..
Hodza and his brother-in-law, Ron Iljazi, who own the restaurant, said they will rebuild on the same site.
“We love it here, and we want to stay,” Hodza said.
Hodza, who came to the United States from Macedonia in 1988, said he is “living the American dream” and can’t imagine living anywhere else but Burleson.
That feeling was reinforced when volunteer firefighters from the Briaroaks Fire Department -- who tried to save the restaurant from the blaze -- decided to adopt the the two families and surprise them with groceries and Christmas presents.
When they arrived at the fire station earlier this week, Santa greeted the children with gifts, and the fire hall was stuffed with groceries and other supplies.
Deputy Fire Chief Gregg Marsh, who helped organize donations for Hodza and Iljazi, said he and other firefighters wanted to help because the families were always donating to charities and looking for ways to help their community.
“We’ve been passing the hat,” Marsh said. “We bought $300 in groceries and gave $500 to each family. ... I can’t imagine not having an income since Nov. 15.”
Briaroaks Fire Chief Bryan Jamison said the cause of the fire is still under investigation. There were no hydrants nearby and tanker trucks had to haul water in to fight the fire, he said.
“Villa Dianna was my favorite place,” Jamison said. “I had pizza there three days before the fire. It is really a part of the community. There wasn’t an Italian restaurant in that area and people came from all over.”
Iljazi said he was touched by the outpouring of support from the community.
“I was actually overwhelmed; I didn’t think we had that big of an impact on people,” he said.
Hodza said he was able to salvage the restaurant’s marquee, and when electricity is restored on his property, he plans to put up messages letting people know of his progress and when he plans to reopen.
“When we reopen, we will keep our menu and prices the same. Our prices haven’t changed in 10 years. We are in this to make a living, not a fortune,” Hodza said.
Marsh said he will continue putting out the word about the need for donations.
“Everyone thinks firefighters are tough, but when you see someone lose everything, it affects everybody. We are trying to give something back to these guys [Hodza and Iljazi] to help out at a very tough time.”
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