Mornington Peninsula restaurant Colt Dining razed by vicious blaze

Several much loved businesses including a restaurant that only opened a month ago have been damaged by a blaze that erupted on the second storey of an old building.

The Colt Dining blaze broke out just after 8.30pm on Friday night. Picture: Supplied

A popular new restaurant was among several peninsula businesses damaged in a blaze that has left owners and customers devastated.

Fire brigades were called to a fire on the second storey of the old Federal House building on Main St Mornington about 8.45pm on Friday, forcing mass evacuations as the blaze ripped through businesses.

Among those impacted was recently opened Colt Dining which — located in the adjoining building — was forced to evacuate as the fire from next door spread into the restaurant.

The restaurant had only been open for about a month and was severely damaged, leaving owners “gutted”.

The smoke from the blaze prompted evacuations from nearby buildings. Picture: Supplied.

A Fire Rescue Victoria spokesman said: “At 8.43pm on Friday, FRV crews, assisted by CFA, were called to a structure fire in Main Street at Mornington.

“The entire second storey of the building was alight. The building has a restaurant on the ground floor”.

Residents were also evacuated from a neighbouring building.

Fire crews were on scene on Saturday morning checking for hotspots.

The cause of the fire remains under investigation and police said an arson investigator will attend the scene.

A structural engineer will visit site on Sunday.

Customers at restaurant Afghan Marcopolo and Brass Razu were also forced to evacuate.

Justine Donoghue said she was sitting at the back area of Brass Razu and could smell a fire but couldn't see anything.

She said she thought a child had accidentally set something on fire as part of a Halloween trick gone wrong.

“About 8.50pm they evacuated us and they said there was a fire upstairs at that point,” she said.

Michael Robinson, who had arrived about an hour after the blaze erupted, said:

“I got down there about 10pm and the whole place was well alight at that stage.”

Afghan Marcopolo, located below the blaze, posted on their Facebook page on Saturday morning: “Due to last night‘s tragic events, we will be closed until further notice. All staff and customers had been evacuated safely.”

Brass Razu also posted on its Instagram that it would be “closed until further notice”.