Official fundraiser launches to support displaced restaurant employees

Less than 24 hours. That’s all it took for local organizations and leaders to come together and figure out a plan for those affected by Monday’s shocking downtown fire. According to officials, more than 200 hospitality employees were effectively rendered jobless overnight.

The headline story is that you can donate now here. The “Main Street Fire Employee Assistance Fund” is being managed by the Downtown Alliance, who guarantee that 100% of the funds collected will be dispersed to the employees affected by the horrific event.

Here’s the full presser issued by the Downtown Alliance. I love it when a plan comes together.:

. . .

A devastating fire tore through historic buildings on Main Street in Downtown Salt Lake City, destroying beloved local businesses and leaving more than 200 employees suddenly without their workplaces and paychecks.

Thanks to the quick response from the Salt Lake City Fire Department, Police Department, and other first responders, every customer and employee was safely evacuated.

“These buildings date back to 1920 and have been part of the fabric of Main Street for generations,” said Dee Brewer, executive director of the Downtown Alliance. “They were home to gathering places, nightlife, and local culture that give Downtown its vibrancy. While the physical loss is significant, the immediate hardship for the employees is our greatest concern right now.”

With Salt Lake City, the Downtown Alliance has launched the Main Street Fire Employee Assistance Program, with 100% of donations going directly to employees displaced by the fire to help cover essential expenses such as rent, groceries, and transportation during this difficult time.

Donations can be made now at downtownslc.org.

In addition to donating, the public can show their support by visiting other locations owned by the affected businesses, including:

Whiskey Street & White Horse: Franklin Avenue at 231 Edison Street
Los Tapatios on North Temple at 120 North 900 West
London Belle: Plieku on Main Street at 264 South Main

The Downtown Alliance is also working closely with the property owners, who have expressed their intent to rebuild, as well as with city leaders, business owners, and community partners to support recovery efforts.

“Downtown Salt Lake City has always been defined by resilience and its people,” said Brewer. “We know this community will rally together to help our neighbors get back on their feet and restore the vitality of this cherished block.”

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Stuart Melling

Hi, I’m Stuart, nice to meet you!  I’m the founder, writer and wrangler at Gastronomic SLC.  I’m a multiple-award winning journalist and have written in myopic detail about the Salt Lake City  dining scene for the better part of seventeen years.

I’ve worked extensively with multiple local publications from Visit Salt Lake to Salt Lake Magazine, not least helped to consult on national TV.   Pause those credits, yep, that’s me! I’m also a former restaurant critic of more than five years, working for the Salt Lake Tribune.    I’m largely fueled by a critical obsession with rice, alliteration and the use of big words I don’t understand.   What they’re saying about me: “Not inaccurate”, “I thought he was older”, “I don’t share his feelings”.

Want to know more? This is why I am the way I am.