JACKSONVILLE, Fla. — The restaurant in Jacksonville where a mass shooting unfolded in August has reopened.
Chicago Pizza welcomed customers Friday morning, beginning at 11 a.m.
STORY: Jacksonville Landing mass shooting updates
Action News Jax Courtney Cole spoke to Cliff Comastro, the owner of the restaurant to find out what he plans to do to make sure customers feel safe moving forward.
"There’s no community like this in Jacksonville,” said Traian Marginean.
That’s why the UNF student says he came back for the reopening of Chicago Pizza.
“When this place first opened my freshman year of college, I was pretty enthused to come here for the first time. I thought, I’m going to be coming here a lot more often,” Marginean said.
But on Aug. 26th, a Baltimore man shot and killed two people and injured nine others during a video game tournament at the restaurant's gaming bar—GLHF—before turning the gun on himself.
RELATED STORY: Who were the victims killed in the Jacksonville mass shooting?
“To see it open again and to see everything back to the way it was— or on its way back to the way it was, really means a lot,” Marginean said.
On @ActionNewsJax at 5, I introduced you to a loyal Chicago Pizza customer who’s glad to be able to come back for the first time since the mass shooting in August. At 6, I’ll tell you why the owner is expecting a lot of people tomorrow & how he plans to keep customers safe. pic.twitter.com/J1lP8sMop1
— Courtney Cole (@CourtneyANJax) October 5, 2018
While the owner says he wasn't comfortable talking to Action News Jax on-camera for safety reasons, here’s what he said about safety measures being taken in the future:
- An off-duty security guard will be used for special events, in addition to the Jacksonville Landing security team
- Backpacks, large bags and luggage will no longer be allowed during special events where a large crowd is expected
- Comastro told Action News Jax the establishment will now mostly host online gaming tournaments. Events that involve gamers playing in person will be held off-site.
RELATED STORY: Jacksonville Landing mass shooting survivor dies in car accident
Since the shooting, the wall has been removed and the gaming area has been expanded.
Comastro says the game bar isn't expected to be completed for at least the next couple of months.
“I know GLHF isn’t open yet completely, but there’s still a lot to look forward to. A lot to hope for. It really does mean a lot for me to be here,” Marginean said.
The owner said more than 300 events were held there before the shooting. He went on to say he hopes the community will continue to come out and support his business.
Comastro says 10 of his 13 employees decided to return to work with him at Chicago Pizza following the shooting.
Action News Jax reached out to the Jacksonville Landing to see if they're planning to take any special security measures now that the restaurant has reopened, but we’re still waiting to hear back.
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