On Monday morning 1/19/26 around 7:00 AM, a devastating fire broke out in an apartment building on Broadway. Four team members from Lovely’s Oakland and Tacos Oscar who lived in the building lost their homes and personal belongings.

The building has been red-tagged by the city of Oakland and the landlord has tried to terminate the leases of all tenants. While we are incredibly grateful that they are safe, they are now facing the overwhelming task of starting over from scratch. From clothing and essential household items to finding a new place to live in a difficult housing market.

We are coming together to help them get back on their feet. All funds raised will go directly toward:

Immediate housing and relocation costs

Replacing essential clothing and personal items

Food and emergency expenses during this displacement

We know many of our regulars and neighbors have asked how they can help—this is the best way to provide direct, immediate relief to these four hardworking individuals.

Any contribution, no matter the size, makes a massive difference. If you aren't able to donate, please consider sharing this link with the Oakland community.

Thank you for showing our team members so much love.

UPDATE:

To our wonderful community, thank you for the overwhelming support. We have raised a significant amount, and to comply with GoFundMe’s safety requirements and ensure these funds reach our team quickly, I am providing the following details:

Who I am & My Relationship: My name is Joseph Diaz, and I am an employee of Lovely’s Burgers here in Oakland. I am organizing this fundraiser on behalf of my coworkers and our colleagues at Tacos Oscar.

The Beneficiaries: To respect the privacy and safety of the four individuals who lost their homes and personal documents in the Broadway fire, I am not listing their full names publicly. However, they are all current employees of our two local businesses.

The Distribution Plan: As the organizer, I will be the one withdrawing the funds to my personal bank account. Once the funds are cleared, I will be distributing them directly to the four beneficiaries in equal shares in cash.

Accountability: We are keeping internal records of all distributions, including signed gift receipts from each recipient, to ensure 100% of these donations go directly to their recovery.