Community rallies to support West Bend owner, staff at The Braising Pan after damaging fire
WEST BEND, Wis. (CBS 58) -- For nearly 12 years, The Braising Pan, a popular restaurant in West Bend, has sat on the corner of N. Main St. and Park Ave.
But as of Friday, Sept. 30, all that remains is a pile of charred rubble, after a fire Thursday morning burnt the community staple to the ground.
Officials with the West Bend Fire Department (WBFD) responded to a 911 call around 1:30 a.m. from an employee who discovered smoke inside of the restaurant.
"The fire department showed up within minutes. Upon their arrival, they found heavy smoke conditions," said WBFD Battalion Chief Robert Schafer. "During the extinguishment process, parts of the building had to be taken apart to get at the seat of the fire."
Chief Schafer said the employee was able to escape and thankfully, no one was hurt.
On Friday, dozens of West Bend residents stopped by the scene to see the aftermath for themselves.
"It's sad. I hope they rebuild," said Bonnie Fowler, who lives just five blocks away from the restaurant. "They had a really nice patio."
Her husband, Jim, said The Braising Pan was "great."
"A lot of friends came. We had a lot of good times here," Jim Fowler said. "They had a great breakfast. We'd come a lot for breakfast."
Now a handful of smaller West Bend businesses are rallying together to show support for restaurant owner Heather Ford and her team.
- Maven's on Main is donating 10% of all coffee sales through the whole week
- Jimmy's Restaurant and Bar is offering special shots and donating funds raised
- The Bend Theater is offering 50% off of ticket sales for a comedic performance Sept. 30
- Eaton's Fresh Pizza, Plantonic Cafe, and Grandma's Basement Comics have donation jars available
To view the GoFundMe, click here.
West Bend Mayor Christophe Jenkins said he's not surprised by the immediate outpouring of support.
"Our community is obviously very close-knit. Out of tragedy comes greatness and our community is clearly coming together to support this family, this business owner, and the staff they had here," Mayor Jenkins said. "That's just who we are as West Benders. We come together in times of need."