Triangle Supermarket rises from ashes of the riots.

Earl Jones spent the first night of the L.A. riots holed up inside his family's restaurant, watching nervously through the windows as flames inched closer.

Prepared to defend his business - Chicken George on Manchester Avenue - Jones never went to sleep. His business survived that first frightening night, suffering only a broken window.

Day Two of the riots was another story. When Jones went home to rest, vandals burned down the restaurant known for its Southern-style cooking.

"It was totally destroyed ... you'll never know the feeling of coming back to the business you put your heart and soul into and finding it's not there anymore," said Jones, 62, wiping a tear from his eye. "There was nothing left to save."

Brothers' Terdema and Wallace Ussery tell a similar story. They returned to their mini-market to find that looters had driven a car through a wall to break in and ransack the place, and arsonists finished off the job.

The Ussery brothers and Jones, all longtime friends, took part-time jobs to support their families but vowed to start over in business for themselves again.

It took almost five years, but last November the three fulfilled that vow by opening the Triangle Supermarket at Adams Boulevard and Western Avenue.

The neat, 11,000-square-foot store boasts eight aisles containing everything from fresh produce to a butcher on the premises. It's smaller than the big supermarkets, but larger than most neighborhood groceries.

"We wanted to come back for the community ... we wanted to come back and let people know that we weren't going to be stopped," said Wallace Ussery, 56. "A lot of jobs were lost, including our own. Now, we have created 20 positions."

The idea to open up a market began with some political maneuvering by Los Angeles City Councilman Mark Ridley-Thomas. He helped the trio incorporate as a partnership, and then aided them in finding a partner to finance the venture.

The Usserys and Jones struck a deal with Bedford Corp., an African-American-owned construction company, and another silent investor.

After difficulties finding a site at the fight price in Ridley-Thomas's 8th District, the partners settled on their current location in Councilman Nate Holden's 10th District at 2625 S. Western Ave.

In addition to the market, Bedford developed the property with an adjoining 52-unit senior citizens housing complex and parking structure.

The project cost $1.1 million - including a $450,000 grant from the city's Community Development Department and the rest from private investors.

But they say the battle isn't over yet. A stroll down the gleaming new aisles at Triangle reveals one problem - the store is not well stocked. The owners say they simply don't have the money to keep up on inventory, and are hoping that a limited partner - or the city - can come through with a $250,000 grant to keep things going.

In addition, the store does not sell beer, wine or hard liquor, which can account for about 30 percent of the revenues for a small supermarket, Jones said.

As a condition for approving a market at the site, the city had stipulated that the owners could not sell alcohol. The owners say they plan to ask the City Council to allow them to sell beer and wine - and will seek support from customers and community members.

Wallace Ussery said the store also plans to offer services like check cashing, a utility payment service and even grocery delivery to distinguish it from the supermarkets.

"It's these kinds of personal touches that are going to make the community choose to come," Wallace Ussery said.

To the partners, their success - and the success of other business owners who are seeking to rebuild after the riots - is important to the future of South Central Los Angeles.

Without a strong entrepreneurial presence, they say, the area will continue to deteriorate.

"This community still has a ladder to climb," said Jones. "We know the potential this community has ... this has been our home all of our lives, so we have to make a commitment to the future."