PORTLAND, Ore. — From the outside, the damage doesn't look so bad. Boards cover the door and smoke has blackened the windows, but Caffe Mingo and Barba Mingo are still standing in Northwest Portland.
But the destruction inside the Italian restaurant and bar is another story.
“The damage itself was substantial," said owner Michael Kronan. "I knew it was not minor, it wasn’t a little fire in the ash can or something like that."
Kronan opened Caffe Mingo back in 1991 and it quickly became a staple in the Northwest neighborhood. He expanded 17 years ago to open Barba Mingo next door. Both locations were forced to close indefinitely this week after a fire broke out early Monday morning. Kronan said the back third of the restaurant is in the worst shape.
"This was so immediate; you could see in the sidelines employees showing up. The word was starting to get out," he said, recalling the day of the fire. "We have 35 employees from both restaurants. Their livelihood put on hold."
Other businesses are also feeling the effects. Smoke damaged the nearby Russo Lee Gallery, and a note on the door on Friday said it's closed until further notice.
At the other end of the block, neighboring restaurant Serratto was still seating customers Friday, but the windows were open in hopes of clearing out some of the smoky smell still hanging in the air.
"I was just stunned," said Sarah Bell, a longtime customer who's enjoyed Caffe Mingo for the past 20 years. "I truly think it’s the heart and soul of Northwest Portland."
Hoping to support the staff, Bell started a GoFundMe campaign, surpassing the goal of $20,000 dollars in the first day or two.
"It’s businesses and the entire community coming together," she said.
Kronan said he's grateful to everyone who called or stopped by this week. He said he knows how special both the customers and his employees are, adding that his career "goes beyond clocking in and clocking out."
After spending 45 years working on the block, Kronan said he's not ready to let it go yet. He's set on rebuilding, and he said he does have insurance but expects the process could take seven or eight months. But however long it takes, the restaurateur is ready to bring back not just his business, but also the unique community that is Caffe Mingo.
"It resonates in a way that it's more than dollars and cents, it's relationships," he said.