A pre-dawn fire gutted the kitchen and front of Leeward Drive-Inn in Waipahu, a bad blow for the restaurant's workers and the neighborhood that has eaten there for decades.

• Flames shot from the roof early Friday, and crews fought the fire from the rooftop before putting it out by 7 a.m.
• The restaurant, open since 1964, is now boarded up with heavy damage to the kitchen and front area.
• More than 30 employees showed up to work to find the place burning; some families counted on those paychecks to cover rent.
• Investigators have not yet said what started the fire.

Outlook: Management says it wants to repair and reopen as fast as possible, but the damage means the drive-in stays closed for now.