Minnesota Raises $21K for Fire-Damaged Pizza Shop Staff

When fire tore through the roof of Jakeeno's Pizza in South Minneapolis this July, the Keegan sisters worried most about their employees losing paychecks during the rebuild.

Then Bob Tinsley, a local hospitality entrepreneur, started a GoFundMe campaign. Within days, 291 neighbors donated $21,000 to cover wages for the cooks, servers, and bartenders while the beloved restaurant recovers.

Firefighters responded early on July 11th as smoke poured from the roof at the corner of Chicago Avenue and 36th Street. Crews had to open multiple roof sections to extinguish flames burning beneath the membrane. The restaurant was closed and empty, so no one was hurt.

Co-owners Amy and Patty Keegan say their insurance will cover the building repairs. But their staff needed help immediately. "We want them back. We appreciate them," Patty Keegan told CBS News. "We feel terrible that they lost their jobs from this, and so we're just trying to keep everybody whole."

Neighbors can also support Jakeeno's by buying their pasta sauce and frozen pizzas at local grocery stores and co-ops while the dining room stays closed.

The Ripple Effect

This isn't the first challenge the 50-year-old restaurant has weathered. Jakeeno's survived the Great Recession, the COVID-19 shutdowns, and the riots following George Floyd's murder just two blocks away in 2020.

Each time, the South Minneapolis community has rallied around the sisters and their staff. The latest fundraiser shows how neighborhoods protect the local businesses that feed them, literally and culturally.

The Keegan sisters are now waiting for their insurance claim to process so they can start repairs. With frozen pizzas flying off store shelves and donations still coming in, their team will have paychecks until the ovens fire up again.