JJ’s owner’s brother: We need to pray for employees affected by Plaza fire

KANSAS CITY, Mo. - The brother of the owner of a popular Kansas City restaurant that burned down after a large explosion says everybody needs to pray for the families of the employees.

David Frantze says his brother was in Oklahoma Tuesday evening when the explosion occurred. At least nine people were transported to area hospitals after the blast sparked a massive fire, but Frantze didn’t know how many, if any, were employees from the restaurant.

Frantze and Kansas City Mayor Sly James got close to the restaurant a few hours after the explosion. The mayor told 41 Action News it looked like a bomb had gone off inside, the walls were gone and you could see the basement from the street.

“My brother has put 27 years of his life running this business, has built it into one of the fine restaurants in Kansas City,” Frantze said. “To come down here and see a hole in the ground and the flames, is a pretty staggering experience.”