A fire that broke out early Tuesday morning in West Oakland, two days after graffiti was daubed on the Horn Barbecue, caused such severe damage to the restaurant, city officials decided to red tag the building.
Michael Hunt, a spokesperson for the Oakland Fire Department said that the Oakland Fire Department was notified at 4:19 am of an apparent fire in the back of the 2534 Mandela Pkwy restaurant. Hunt said that fire crews were at the restaurant within three minutes, and they saw smoke coming from the attic. By 4:46 am, the fire was put out but there was significant damage.
Hunt, speaking to KTVU, said that although the building was not completely destroyed when they arrived there were heavy smoke and fire coming from the back of the house. It extended to the main part of the restaurant, and appears a complete loss.
Matt Horn, owner of the restaurant, posted on Instagram that vandals had tried to enter his food trailer. Horn, the restaurant owner, called the vandals filth and said that they were a plague on our city. He also urged business owners to come together who are affected by crime.
No injuries have been reported. The fire is still under investigation.
Horn Barbecue posted an Instagram message saying that the experience of waking to news of the fire was like “a bad dream.” Although it was sad to see the charred photos, awards and family pictures on the wall, Horn stated “our unbreakable commitment to Horn Barbecue, and Oakland, is heartbreaking.”
Horn stated, “We won’t be moved by the adversity.” We refuse to allow this tragedy to define us. We will instead use this tragedy as a motivation to build stronger and bigger than ever before.
According to the article, a GoFundMe was set up to help its employees and to reopen “as quickly as possible” the restaurant. By Wednesday morning, the goal of $200,000 had already been reached.
At least two signs in red from Oakland that read “UNSAFE”, were taped on the front of Horn BBQ hours after the fire. Four construction workers quietly drilled wood pallets into the wall of the building to cover a gap left by the flames.
The estimated time to seal a building was three hours.
Three restaurant employees prepared preorders in the patio area for Wednesday’s 1 p.m. turkey giveaway.
Daniel, who refused to provide his last name but said that he is the chef of the restaurant, told us he received a call from an employee at 6:30am informing him about the fire. Daniel told Horn that he called him immediately to inform him of the fire.
Daniel stated, “We are a bit devastated but will do whatever we need to.” We had hoped the damage would be less, but it is what it is.
Outside the restaurant, two employees were assigned to three smokers. Daniel explained that the small team relied heavily on the food truck of the restaurant as their “home base”. Daniel said that two smokers were in the restaurant but were not able to get to them because of the damage caused by the fire.
The restaurant’s reopening date is not known. Daniel stated that they planned to continue cooking until Wednesday’s giveaway, at 1 pm. This was done to make sure everyone had their meal. In the worst-case scenario, Daniel explained the plan to function as a temporary restaurant before acquiring its own space. He refused to speculate as to what might have started the fire.
According to Hunt, city officials have red-tagged a one-story apartment building because of “concerns about structural integrity”. This means that no one is allowed to enter.
Carroll Fife is a council member who represents the area where the restaurant was located. She told The Chronicle she had received via text a picture of the aftermath of the fire on Tuesday and called to offer assistance.
Fife reported that the Horn family said to her it looked like the fire was started by the roof.
Fife expressed his sadness by saying, “This is heartbreaking.”
Oakland should have the ability to enjoy nice things. “Regardless of race (people), shouldn’t attack small businesses, but it is harder for Black businesses get access to loans, credit, and everything else that is needed to succeed in business”, Fife stated, referring Horn who is Black.
Horn Barbecue, one of the most popular restaurants in the Bay Area, is famous for its West Coast version of Texas style barbecue. Restaurant will open in October 2020.
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