Fire guts iconic Belleview diner Aunt Fannie's

Feb. 13--BELLEVIEW -- Early Wednesday, a fire gutted the Aunt Fannie's Restaurant, destroying an iconic diner that has served classic breakfast and other favorites for nearly 40 years.

Just hours after the fire, A.J. Umland looked into a broken window at the restaurant, 6147 SE Abshier Blvd., and surveyed the charred remnants of a lifetime of work.

"This is tough, man. This is my baby. I opened it when I was 23 years old," Umland said. "I'm still trying to process."

In the next breath, he promised to rebuild.

"We will rebuild. We will be stronger. It may take a couple of months, but we will be back," he said.

He said the fire broke out in the grill area sometime after closing late Tuesday.

"The next thing I know, there were cops banging on my door at midnight," Umland said.

By the time Umland and his wife, Kathy, arrived at the restaurant, flames and smoke poured out of the building, and Marion County Fire Rescue vehicles surrounded the building as firefighters battled the flames.

"You couldn't see the building because of all the flashing lights and fire trucks in the parking lot," Kathy Umland said.

Flames broke through the roof, causing it to partially collapse before firefighters got the blaze under control.

A.J. Umland said he has insurance on the property, but he was worried about his 15 employees.

"Like a lot of people, they work paycheck to paycheck. I'm worried about them," he said.

As the Umlands looked over the damage, a number of customers stopped to offer their condolences.

"We come here just about every Sunday for breakfast," said Dudley Dye, who lives in The Villages. "We couldn't believe it, and we wanted to come by."

Several Belleview city officials also stopped by, offering help.

"The outpouring of support has been amazing," Umland said, his voice cracking with emotion. "I just had a customer stop by my house and hand me a $100 bill."

Umland and a partner founded Aunt Fannie's in 1981 at the Belleview location. Soon after, four other locations opened in Marion County, including one in Ocala on Pine Avenue. Years later, the partnership dissolved, with Umland retaining the Belleview store and Dwight Stephens keeping the Ocala location.

They both kept the Aunt Fannie's name and logo.

Last April, Stephens sold the Ocala Aunt Fannie's to Darrell's Diner, which changed the name and adjusted the menu.

Umland said Stephens offered him the restaurant first, but he wanted to keep his focus on the original location and his loyal customers.

"Kids that came in when I opened it are bringing in their grandchildren. It's a staple in Belleview," he said.

-- Contact Carlos E. Medina at 867-4157 or cmedina@starbanner.com

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