Fire crews at the scene in Fairlie. Photo: RNZ
Fire crews were called to Carnegies Restaurant on Allandale Rd in Fairlie 6:30am.
The building was found in flames.
A Fire and Emergency New Zealand (Fens) spokesperson said five fire trucks and a support vehicle were still at the scene four hours later.
The fire had been mostly extinguished by 10:30am, but not before it destroyed much of the restaurant's ceiling.
An RNZ reporter at the scene said the smell of smoke permeated throughout the small town.
Fenz said nobody was inside the building at the time, and a fire investigator was working to determine the cause.
