JJ’s returning to West Plaza

It doesn’t look like much now, but JJ’s Restaurant will reopen in this space in the Plaza Vista building.

JJ’s owner Jimmy Frantze examines a sword almost lost in the rubble, as West Plaza neighborhood president Joe Montanari (right) looks on.

JJ’s Restaurant will reopen within the new Plaza Vista building, which overlooks the ruins at its  former location.

It was unclear until today if the popular restaurant on the edge of the West Plaza neighborhood would return after an explosion and fire destroyed it in February 1013.

The explosion caused by a ruptured natural gas line killed server Megan Cramer and injured up to 15 others.

Jimmy Frantze, restaurant owner, paid tribute to Cramer when he announced today he would reopen.

“It wasn’t always a given,” he said, but former employees wanted him to do it and he got widespread community support.

“We decided we weren’t ready to stop yet,” he said. “How many birthdays, how many first communions did we celebrate at JJ’s – we had to come back.”

The site of the former JJ’s as it looks today.

He spoke on an outside patio that will be part of the restaurant when in opens by late summer.

Mayor Sly James praised the JJ return, as did David Harrison, president of VanTrust Real Estate, developer of the Plaza Vista and Joe Montanari, president of the West Plaza neighborhood association.

Montanari, a jewelry store owner, engraved a sword recovered from the ruins and presented to Frantze today – but not just any sword.

The sword was given to Frantze in 1996 by the late president of the Club de Sabeur, a 265-year-old champagne club. Frantze is a member and JJ’s sold more than 100 champagnes.

“Hopefully we’ll open, this sword will get a lot of use and we’ll have some fun,” Frantze said.

Expect to see the popular Pico Shrimp again and other favorite dishes, along with an extensive wine list, and about 90 percent of his former emplyees, he said.

“We’re going to open with the exact same menu we blew up with,” he said.