Help Keep Cara Mia Restaurant Above Water

I’m starting this fundraiser to help clean up, rebuild and reopen Cara Mia Restaurant in Millburn, NJ. Hurricane Ida tore through Millburn on September 1st and flooded the entire restaurant, destroying the floors, walls, vents, heating and cooling systems, electrical systems and equipment. They had to throw away thousands of dollars worth of food and supplies as well.


Cara Mia has been a staple in the Millburn downtown area for 11 years and is owned and run by my family. Although they have incredible food, the true special sauce is how they make their customers feel. Cara Mia is a place where families gather to catch up with one another, couples spend an evening enjoying each other’s company, and friends come to celebrate special occasions.

This is not the first time Cara Mia has experienced a catastrophic event; they have had to rebuild after Hurricane Irene and Superstorm Sandy and never asked for a single handout from anyone. They had to adapt and rebuild again during the pandemic, working diligently to remain open in a safe manner while supporting their staff members who were quarantined at home. Yet through all of this they donated thousands of meals to various charities, frontline workers and people in need. In the midst of the clean up at Cara Mia, my family is also looking into a new car for their manager, Rob, who while trying to keep the flood water out of the restaurant had his car washed away and totaled.

My family’s selflessness and generosity are what makes them and Cara Mia so lovable and unique, but now they need help. The business is closed, the staff is still coming in everyday to clean up and rebuild and are still getting paid to ensure they can support their basic necessities and families. They need to spend a lot of money to replace/rebuild every single item that has been decimated and since they can’t open and generate income, the financial responsibility is becoming overwhelming. I’m hoping by today the remaining water in the building will be drained, but in the meantime please donate what you can to keep my family’s head above water.