AUSTIN -- The Austin Police Department has questioned the driver who crashed into Franklin Barbecue and drove away Wednesday morning.
A cook smoking brisket in the back of the restaurant heard the noise around 5:30 a.m. Wednesday.
"(The employee) came in here, didn't see anything but happened to look this way to see a car pulling out," said general manager Benji Jacob.
The cook called 911 while the driver left the car's license plate behind as he backed out of the restaurant. Employees cleaned up the mess before opening.
"The most nervous thing was if we were going to be able to open for service because you can't have a giant hole in your dining room, it's illegal," said Jacob.
Jacob said there were about 400 people at the restaurant by 10:30, but in a first they had to wait about 10 to 15 minutes before Franklin opened.
"We were really lucky, it's crazy, and it was a very stressful morning," Jacob said.
No one was injured in the crash. Austin police are investigating to see if alcohol was a factor in the crash. Police say officers have questioned the driver, but so far he has not been arrested.
