A fire outside a historic Philadelphia restaurant forced the eatery to close Friday after smoke was sent into the building.
Firefighters arrived at the City Tavern at 2nd and Walnut streets in the Old City section of the city around 4:45 a.m. to find a dumpster blaze outside the building, officials said.
"Thankfully, no one was injured in the incident," said a statement from the restaurant.
Smoke made its way inside the property, but the restaurant did not sustain any interior damage, according to reports.
Proprietor chef Walter Staib, however, decided to close Friday for cleaning. Staib promised to reopen as soon as possible.
Authorities shut down 2nd Street between Chestnut and Walnut streets, as well as Walnut Street between 2nd and Front streets, for a portion of the morning while crews investigated.
City Tavern is considered the unofficial meeting place of the First Continental Congress. The current structure is a replica of the original bar, which was partially destroyed by a fire in March 1834, according to the restaurant's website.
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Congress commissioned the historically accurate reconstruction of the City Tavern in 1948.
After nearly 30 years of planning, officials opened the new restaurant in 1976.
