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U.S. NEWS Friday 14 February 2020
Part of the ceiling collapses at Atlanta airport restaurant

By JEFF MARTIN Chef America." Cora's busi-
Associated Press ness partner, the conces-
ATLANTA (AP) — Part of sion firm that operates the
a restaurant ceiling col- restaurant, said in a state-
lapsed inside Atlanta's air- ment that it considers the
port Thursday, leaving a safety of its guests and em-
large chunk of it draped ployees to be deeply im-
over countertops in the portant.
dining area. One person "We are currently working
was taken to a hospital, with the airport and other
and a second person was partners to fully evaluate
treated at the scene, air- the situation, including any
port officials said. potential injuries and/or fa-
The collapse happened cility damage," said Regyn-
shortly before 8 a.m. Thurs- ald Washington, president
day in Concourse A, one of Atlanta-based Paradies
of the closest concourses Lagardère's dining division.
to the main domestic ter- The airport's review will ex-
minal, the airport said in a tend beyond Cat Cora's
statement. Kitchen, Nissalke said, Authorities inspect the damage at Cat Cora's Kitchen inside Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International
It appears that the ceiling though he wasn't sure Thurs- Airport, Thursday, Feb. 13, 2020, in Atlanta, after part of the restaurant's ceiling collapsed.
was improperly attached, day how many businesses Associated Press
and there are now plans to that might be. Paradies La- There are many compa- construct the restaurant or travelers stood on the other
review construction meth- gardère has partnered with nies involved in designing store using architects, engi- side.
ods and design plans at Atlanta's airport on many and building restaurants neers and contractors, Nis- There was no impact on op-
other businesses inside the projects and its website lists and other establishments salke said. erations at Hartsfield-Jack-
airport, said Tom Nissalke, more than 30 restaurants inside the airport. Business- Photos on social media son Atlanta International
the airport's assistant gen- and shops in the airport. es known as concession- showed workers in orange Airport, authorities said. The
eral manager for planning "We're going to go ahead aires lease space from the vests inspecting the scene airport calls itself the world's
and development. and review all the other city of Atlanta, then typi- on one side of the fallen busiest, averaging 275,000
At a Thursday briefing for drawings associated with cally prepare a design and ceiling chunk, as airport passengers daily.q
reporters, Nissalke de- this concessionaire just to
scribed the piece that see if a similar situation ex-
fell as "a floating ceiling." ists," Nissalke said. "We are
When asked whether the going to be reviewing all
ceiling was "misattached," those other spaces."
Nissalke responded, "that's The concession company
how it appears, yes." has restaurants and stores
Because of its weight, the in dozens of U.S. airports,
structure has to be at- according to its website. It
tached to the rigid roof lists more than two dozen
deck, which is designed to shops and restaurants in
hold the weight, he said. several major airports, in-
He estimated that the cluding Dallas Fort Worth
chunk of ceiling that fell International Airport, Char-
weighed 700 to 800 pounds lotte Douglas International
(318 to 363 kilograms) and Airport in North Carolina,
crashed down as custom- Detroit Metropolitan Air-
ers ate breakfast inside port and John F. Kennedy
the restaurant. It had been International Airport in New
that way for about the past York.
three and a half years, he In a statement from her
said. publicist, Cora said that
Airport officials say they will she was awakened Thurs-
now delve into the design day morning by a call from
plans to find out what hap- her partners at Paradies
pened. Lagardère informing her of
"We're reviewing drawings what had happened.
that were the permitted "We are working with our
drawings, to see exactly airport team very closely to
what happened and was assess the situation," Cora
the construction imple- said.
mented according to the "Above all, we just want
plans," Nissalke said. to make sure everyone in-
The ceiling fell in Cat Cora's volved is ok," she said.
Kitchen, one of several air- One person asked to be
port locations opened by transported to a hospital,
celebrity chef Cat Cora, a airport officials said. A sec-
Jackson, Mississippi native. ond person was treated at
In 2015, Cora became the the scene and then con-
first-ever female Iron Chef tinued on with travel plans,
on the Food Network's "Iron Nissalke said.