INDIANAPOLIS — A southeast Indianapolis restaurant was forced to close Saturday after a car crashed into the building.
It is unclear how long Wheatley's Restaurant, located at 8902 Southeastern Ave., near Northeastern Avenue, will remain closed because "the structural integrity of the building is in question," according to a post on the restaurant's Facebook page.
Nobody was injured in the crash. The crash site was cleaned, and the hole in the building was covered with plywood.
Wheatley's has been a fixture in the Wanamaker community for decades.
"She hit it at a point where there was a door, so there was already an opening right there anyway. The impact was such that it impacted the entire wall, all the way up to the roof," restaurant owner Kevin Stone said.
Stone said the damage was so severe, he was forced to close the restaurant for customers' safety while he gets the damage assessed.
"There will have to be some significant repairs to make the building safe again," Stone said.
Stone said he's glad no one was hurt, adding he is ready to do what he needs to do to reopen.
"It's just one of the challenges of doing business. It's proverbial that something is always happening. Sometimes it's negative, sometimes it's positive," Stone said. "The good Lord takes care of me and the community. We will survive and continue."
Stone said it could be a few weeks before the building is repaired.