Orlando restaurant closed indefinitely after overnight fire
A building that has housed a waterfront Orlando restaurant for more than 50 years caught fire early Sunday morning, and the place that touted 'Food, Brews & Views' is now closed indefinitely.
Owner Ryan Davis said he was told by fire officials that electrical problems might have started the fire in the kitchen area at The Waterfront, located on Lake Jennie Jewel in South Orlando. There were no injuries.
'I don't think there was foul play or anything, but having it happen it the middle of the night caught me a little bit by surprise,' he said. 'There's not much power being used in the middle of the night.'
Davis said his wife woke him up about 5 a.m. Sunday after she saw a TV news report about the fire.When he got to the restaurant, crews were working to put out the blaze.
About 10% of the building was burned by Davis' estimation.
Flames from the fire reached as high as 20 feet in the air, he said, but most of the inside of the building, including the seating areas, were saved by the firefighters.
'You start off kind of feeling sad and emotional and now we're ready to get going,' Davis said. 'We're ready to get things on track and figure out what the next deal is.'
Davis said he plans to rebuild, adding he feels he owes it to his staff and his regular patrons.
The building that houses The Waterfront has been there since 1972 and was named Julie's Waterfront when Davis took it over about eight years ago.
Davis said the restaurant has started a GoFundMe page to help pay staff who have now lost their jobs, and he has been overwhelmed by the response.
Donors have raised over $5,000 for The Waterfront since Sunday.
'You just feel awful for the staff and you feel awful that happened, but what can you do?' he said. 'That's what we're trying to do now, is figure out what to do next.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
3 hours ago
- Yahoo
GoFundMe for teen who jumped in to work at Burger King on his graduation night tops $200,000
Contributors have given more than $200,000 to a high school graduate who jumped in to help coworkers at Burger King while still wearing his graduation apparel. His story went viral via a TikTok video. Burger King has separately given him a $10,000 scholarship. On May 21, Mykale Baker graduated from Mill Creek High School in a suburb of Atlanta. He might have known it was a day that would change his life when he woke up, but he absolutely didn't know the extent of that change. After the ceremony, Baker and his parents went to the local Burger King to grab dinner. Baker had worked there since February to save money for college and the family could eat at a discount. When they walked in, though, the place was booming—and there were only three employees trying to juggle cooking the food and handling customer orders. Baker volunteered to help and got straight to work, while still wearing his graduation medals and sash. A bit later, Maria Mendoza pulled up to the drive-thru and spotted Baker. She shot a video of him hard at work and posted it on TikTok, where it went viral. People asked how they could help Baker with his college expenses, so Mendoza launched a GoFundMe campaign. As of Friday morning, that campaign has gathered over $201,000 in pledges. 'While many graduates spent the night celebrating with friends and family, one young man quietly showed the world what determination looks like,' Mendoza wrote. Mendoza and Baker didn't know each other. She happened to be at the restaurant to pick up food for a party celebrating her own daughter's graduation from Mill Creek. Baker wasn't aware of the video or the fundraiser until three days later, when Mendoza spoke with the manager at Burger King, asking to meet Baker. The fundraiser, at the time, had collected $6,000. 'I didn't realize she was recording me,' Baker told The Washington Post. 'I felt very happy. I was surprised; I had never seen that much money in my life. … I'm very thankful to everyone who has donated and supported me through this journey.' Beyond the money raised via the GoFundMe, Burger King has presented Baker with a $10,000 scholarship—as well as a $10,000 scholarship for Mendoza's daughter. Baker had planned to take a gap year to save up for college. Now, he says, he has applied to a technical college and plans to study automotive technology this fall, with plans to become a mechanic. Until then, though, he plans to keep working at Burger King. 'I just love working,' he said. 'The people I work around make the job more fun.' This story was originally featured on
Chicago Tribune
9 hours ago
- Chicago Tribune
Column: Property tax exemption issue could put disabled vet's Fox Valley home at risk
Few homeowners look forward to getting that property tax bill in the mail every spring, especially when the bottom line contains a number higher than the previous year. But no one could have been more surprised — and discouraged — than Kyle Moser, who saw that amount go from zero to $7,049. Moser is a double amputee U.S. Marine Corps veteran who was awarded two Purple Hearts for injuries sustained in November of 2011 during combat operations in Afghanistan. After suffering a concussion from a bomb hitting his vehicle, 10 days later while leading his squad on foot patrol, the young corporal from Oswego stepped on an IED and lost both legs above the knee, while also permanently injuring his right hand and arm. All of which resulted in a more than three-year rehabilitation stay at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. But here's where another big hit comes, this one financial and more local: Under Illinois state law, veterans with at least 70% service-connected disability have not been required to pay property taxes on homes up to $750,000. But as inflation upped values on homes, more veterans were being excluded from that exemption, and so the law was amended last year to allow eligible veterans to only have to pay taxes on the difference between $750,000 and their assessed valuations. Which would not have impacted Moser because his ranch house in an unincorporated area near Batavia, a specially-adapted home built for him six years ago by former NFL player Jared Allen's Homes for Wounded Warriors, had been appraised in 2023 at $720,258. With inflated real estate values, however, the Batavia Township Assessor's Office last year raised that assessed valuation to $1,042,175, which requires Moser to pay taxes on the almost $300,000 difference past the exemption cap of $750,000. Moser was shocked when he received a bill for $7,064.98 this spring, a financial whammy that hit particularly hard as he's also going through a divorce that, he says, is taking a third of his disability pay for alimony and child support. In fact, the money situation became so dire that last year Moser started a GoFundMe account because, as he wrote on the crowdfunding website, 'mathematically this is putting me on a path of bankruptcy.' Moser insists he never received any information about changes in the Veterans with Disabilities Homestead Exemption, nor does he recall receiving notification last September of an assessment adjustment, which gives taxpayers 30 days to file an appeal. The updated statute is based on the notion that disabled veterans owning more expensive homes should be able to pay the difference, say officials. Which makes some sense. But that reasoning does not apply to Moser, whose home was given to him for the sacrifices he made in defense of this country, points out state Rep. Stephanie Kifowit, D-Oswego, a Marine veteran herself who serves as vice-chair of the Illinois Veterans Affairs Committee. Plus, the fact the ranch house is modified for his needs does not make it as marketable, and if anything, she said, 'that should mean a lower appraisal.' Batavia Township Assessor Tammy Kavanaugh is aware of Moser's unique and unfortunate situation, but insists his home was 'brought up to fair market value' and that there is little she can do because there was no appeal and she's obliged to follow state statute. But Kifowit isn't buying the first part of that argument, pointing to comparisons of other homes in Moser's neighborhood, including a large executive-style house that has a square-foot appraisal far below Moser's home but is twice as large. 'It's as if Kyle himself is being discriminated against because his home is modified,' she said. There are of course factual errors that can be made on property value assessments, officials say. 'As I understand their concern, I will review the value for these properties,' said Kavanaugh, also pointing out that Moser's ranch home must be compared to other ranch styles. That aside, the Batavia Township assessor, expressing empathy for Moser and a willingness to help wherever she can, told me 'I do believe legislation should be changed. … Your disability should not be tied to a tax bill beyond what you can afford.' While the 2024 changes have given some tax relief to more disabled veterans, increased property values the last five years means more are falling into similar situations, according to Kane County Supervisor of Assessments Mark Armstrong, particularly in less-populated Illinois counties that tend to have a higher percentage go into the military and return home after service. The good news is that Moser's predicament has made officials more aware of the flaws in the current law, and Kifowit, who is clearly upset with the situation, says she will 'push for a legislative fix,' if possible. At the very least, she told me, there should be more than a 30-day window to appeal an assessment notice, which would be beneficial even for 'average people who don't understand the process and how it can impact their property bill. 'Imagine how hard it could be for a disabled veteran with a lot going on,' she said. More positive news, at least short term, is that when notified of Moser's tax obligation, the Allen J. Lynch Medal of Honor Veterans Foundation sent a check for $3,600 to pay for the first installment of this wounded warrior's bill, with Medal of Honor recipient Lynch noting 'we hope that this can be corrected as soon as possible so Kyle does not have to fear' losing the home that was custom-built for his needs. 'We are grateful for partners like the Lynch Foundation for supporting our veterans,' said Jake Zimmerman, supervisor of the Kane County Veterans Assistance Commission who has been working to resolve this issue. 'I don't know how a property like Kyle's can increase in value by more than $300,000 in a single year, but I do know Kyle has given enough for our country,' Zimmerman said. 'And we're going to make sure he is taken care of.'
Axios
10 hours ago
- Axios
How Columbus is helping residents get tech savvy
Smart Columbus wants to give free digital skills training to 10,000 Central Ohioans by the end of 2027 through a new program announced Thursday. Why it matters: The nonprofit estimates 75% of jobs will require advanced digital skills by 2030. The employment gap is widening for people without them. Threat level: Around 80,000 households in the region also lack internet access, and thousands more don't have a device beyond a smartphone. What they're doing: To close the digital divide, Smart Columbus is launching the ConnectUs Digital Skills Hub. The collaboration is between 16 community partners that will train residents and give them a free large-screen device, such as a laptop or tablet, upon completion. Outreach will focus on those facing housing insecurity, older adults, veterans, people with disabilities, students and new Americans. Flashback: "This problem became unignorable during the pandemic," Smart Columbus executive director Jordan Davis tells Axios. "So many families weren't able to connect to online learning or telehealth or virtual work." That observation prompted a pilot in 2022 that has since helped 1,000 people with training and free devices. The latest: The full-scale program features courses taught by leaders of the community partners, including Goodwill, Columbus Metropolitan Library, Columbus State Community College, Jewish Family Services and the New Directions Career Center. The hope is to tailor the program to the specific needs of their respective communities. For example, immigrants may have different challenges with tech than a group of older adults. What they're saying: Tech-savvy residents may find tasks like applying for a job or accessing an online benefits portal simple, but Davis emphasizes the difference such skills could make to others. "People take the basics for granted. Exposing people to the fact that it's okay to acknowledge where you're at and get help is a big part of this awareness journey," he says. Classes are approachable, because "there's a lot of shame that people carry not knowing how to work technology," he adds. What's next: The program may be out of the "pilot" stage, but Davis says it will continue to evolve and grow.
