A sisters-owned pizza institution in South Minneapolis that closed after a roof fire is getting a big slice of help from its neighbors.
In the early morning hours of July 11th, firefighters were called to Jakeeno’s Pizza on the corner of Chicago Avenue and 36th Street after smoke was seen pouring from the roof. Crews found an active fire burning beneath the roof membrane and had to cut open multiple sections to extinguish it.
The restaurant was closed and empty at the time, so no one was injured — with damage limited to the building and business.”Thankfully, we’re very well insured and we’re just kind of waiting for that process to happen,” said co-owner Amy Keegan. “We’re just waiting on the insurance claim to come through.”While Jakeeno’s waits for the insurance process to finish, the shop remains closed and staff are out of work. To help, local hospitality entrepreneur Bob Tinsley organized a GoFundMe for Amy, her sister and co-owner Patty Keegan, and their employees.
The community responded quickly, raising $21,000 from 291 donations.”We want them back; we appreciate them. We feel terrible that they lost their jobs from this and so we’re just trying to keep everybody whole,” Patty Keegan told CBS News.
The funds will go toward paying cooks, wait staff and bartenders while the restaurant is rebuilt. Supporters can also help by buying Jakeeno’s branded pasta sauce and frozen pizzas at local grocery stores and co-ops.
It’s not the first time Jakeeno’s has faced pressure to close. The 50-year-old neighborhood staple has survived the Great Recession, COVID-19, and the unrest following the murder of George Floyd just two blocks away.
Now, with help from the same neighbors who have lined up for its pies for decades, the sisters hope to reopen soon.
