New London ― Investigators are working to determine the cause of a Thursday morning fire that indefinitely shuttered a Bank Street café that was the go-to destination for regulars looking to start their days with cups of coffee, pastries and conversation.

City firefighters were dispatched at approximately 5:30 a.m. to Muddy Waters Café, 40 Bank St., for a report of smoke coming from the building, Chief Thomas Curcio said.

“Once inside, smoke could be seen emitting from kitchen fans, but we determined it was actually coming from the basement,” he said.

Curcio said firefighters made a forced entry in the building’s lower level, where they found a fire and extinguished it about 20 minutes later.

Curcio said there were no injuries, but sections of the restaurant sustained significant heat and smoke damage. The cafe is a popular whistle-stop for visiting local and state politicians looking to connect with constituents.

By 9 a.m., stunned longtime customers saw caution tape and panes of broken window glass.

A trio of regulars, Pawcatuck residents Ford and Fran Bonardi, along with Ford’s sister, Cynthia Lawrence, spent a few minutes commiserating with café owner, David Preka, before walking away.

“This is like a second home to us,” Lawrence said.

Fran Bonardi said the combination of friendly service, food and welcoming atmosphere made the café a particularly comfortable spot to lounge in.

“My husband and his sister would come here and plan their every-other-year trips to Ireland,” she said.

Ford Bonardi, who said he’s frequented the restaurant for years, said news of the fire was especially hard knowing Preka had spent a lot of time remodeling the space.

“My sister and I come here every week and we always get the same thing: two egg-and-cheese-and spinach sandwiches on an English muffin and croissant, along with regular and decaf coffees,” he said. “We don’t even have to order.”

Preka declined to immediately comment on the fire, only calling the situation “unfortunate.”

In a Facebook post, Preka said the fire occurred before the shop opened, and the restaurant would be closed “until further notice.”

“We want to thank our local fire and police departments for their quick response time and helping to put the fire out safely,” the post read. “To our customers we thank you and appreciate you for your continued business and support over the past years that have helped us grow into the place to go! We look forward to getting to work and get Muddy Waters reopened as soon as possible so that we can serve you all again!!!”

The New London Fire Department was assisted by Waterford and Submarine Base firefighters and Groton ambulance personnel.

Editor’s note: This version corrects the spelling of Fran Bonardi’s name.

j.penney@theday.com