UKRAINIAN VILLAGE — A restaurant on the Ukrainian Village-Humboldt Park border will be closed for at least the next two weeks after a fire over the weekend, and its owners are asking for help as they get back on their feet.
Heritage Restaurant & Caviar Bar, 2700 W. Chicago Ave., has served up a gourmet take on Eastern European specialties since opening in 2015. Besides pierogi and other dumplings, it also offers oysters, cocktails, wine and, of course, caviar.
Shortly after the restaurant opened for business on Sunday, owner and chef Guy Meikle heard a thumping on the roof, which grew louder until it sounded like a “jet engine” by the time he was in the kitchen and realized there was a fire, he said.
A malfunctioning kitchen hood caused the small fire, leaving minor damage but a huge mess in the kitchen and elsewhere, Meikle said.
A major cleanup is now underway, as well as a restocking of ingredients before Heritage can serve diners again — which will hopefully happen in about two weeks, he said.
Until then, Meikle has launched a GoFundMe to help support the restaurant’s employees and cover other unexpected costs while Heritage is closed. As of Tuesday evening, the campaign had raised more than $27,000 of its $100,000 goal.
“We asked for that just to help our folks get through this, and help us be able to take care of them and take care of ourselves and take care of the business, because the business is really what takes care of us on a day-to-day basis,” Meikle said.
Meikle said the fire department was on the scene quickly Sunday and no one was injured, but the kitchen is covered in debris and other materials.
The fire-related expenses not only include replacing the hood and dealing with smoke and water damage, but also replacing nearly every food item in their kitchen, down to frozen items and spices, Meikle said.
“We’ve got a professional cleanup crew that’s here helping us right through all that stuff,” he said. “You essentially have to throw all your food out. You have to completely clean and disinfect your entire facility. And then, you know, repair your damage.”
As he waits for insurance estimates to come back, Meikle is hoping the GoFundMe donations offset some of the financial burden from the damage while also supporting Heritage’s employees, who can’t work until the kitchen reopens.
“We’re taking this as a way to come back stronger and better,” he said. “I’m glad it wasn’t any worse, but it does leave us unable to cook until we fix it.”
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