A Sydney pizza restaurant destroyed by fire after an incident with a gas meter, resulting in an explosion.

Owner of Jailhouse Rock Pizza in Earlwood Nadim Albassit told 10Daily he was about to start trading when he heard a bang.

Although the ovens weren’t on at the time, he realised the gas meter was alight and evacuated his employees to across the street before another explosion caused the Sydney pizza restaurant destroyed to be engulfed by flames.

“Everything just went up in flames,” Albassit said.

“I couldn’t believe my eyes.”

Emergency services contained the fire, with upstairs apartments also evacuated.

The cause of the fire hasn’t been determined.