Support the Juicy Kitchen Team during Fire Repairs

On the evening of Wednesday, September 17, a merchandiser freezer malfunctioned and caught fire at Juicy Kitchen. Most importantly, everyone made it out of the cafe safely. Our wholesale team was in at the time and noticed when the freezer caught fire. They acted quickly with a fire extinguisher until the Ann Arbor Fire Department came to clear out the rest of the fire and smoke. We are so grateful that everyone is safe and for the quick action taken by both our staff and the fire department. While we are lucky the fire was quickly put out and did not spread further, we are still unfortunately left with extensive damage that will take time to repair. To give an idea: everything in the cafe must be removed and professionally sanitized and cleaned, the wall the freezer was against will need to be torn down and rebuilt, ceiling tiles, insulation, and equipment will have to be replaced due to smoke damage, along with an almost total loss of inventory. We don’t know how long exactly this will all take or whether or not our insurance will be able to cover all of the associated costs. The road ahead of us is a bit uncertain, but there are two things we are absolutely sure of: we will get back to serving the community we love so dearly just as quickly as we can and we will do everything in our power to support and retain our amazing team during this time - they are what makes Juicy Kitchen the special place that it is. While this situation has been incredibly stressful and heartbreaking, we have been so touched by all the love and support we have received from our community. So many people have asked what they can do to help, and our biggest concern is making sure our staff is taken care of. We are humbly asking for donations to support our team while we are closed for repairs. They are so special and work so hard to nurture our beloved guests with their food and service - we can’t imagine reopening without them. Thank you so much for your kindness and support, we love you and are eagerly waiting for the day we can welcome you back into the cafe!