Flames destroyed a midtown restaurant early Wednesday.

The Late Night Pie pizza restaurant, 300 Tuam, caught fire shortly after 4 a.m.

Witnesses saw light smoke coming from the vents of the roof and said moments later, flames shot out of the restaurant.

It took 90 minutes for nearly 100 firefighters to get the flames under control.

Firefighters were on the roof fighting the blaze, but quickly realized it was too soft and dangerous.

"There's always a threat to fire fighting, so at the time, the district commander made the decision to to back out and fight it in a defensive mode," said Ruy Lozano with the Houston Fire Department.

The roof caved in and the restaurant was destroyed.

Restaurant manager Raymond Pecher said he found out about the fire when he got home.

"I had a bunch of phone calls saying I needed to turn on the TV and turned on Channel 2 and I see the 20 foot flames. I still don't believe what's going on right now," Pecher said.

He said he doesn't know what could have sparked the flames.

"We closed at 3, but we all left at 3:25 and locked up as usual, put the money in the safe and there was nothing out of the ordinary," Pecher said.

Investigators said the fire started in the attic area. The cause is not yet known.

No one was injured. The restaurant had closed about an hour before the fire started.

The fire did not spread to condominiums next door, but firefighters said there was smoke and water damage at the complex.

The building has been in the neighborhood since the 1920s. The restaurant has been in business for six or seven years.

"It's sad all the way around. Some of the guys have families," Pecher said.