Fire damage closes Groundswell cafe in St. Paul
The Groundswell cafe in St. Paul's Midway neighborhood had a "surreal and pretty awful night" this week when the business caught fire on May 21.
The cafe, sitting on the first floor of a building at Thomas and Hamilne avenues, caught fire late on Wednesday night, causing damage to the restaurant and the apartments above.
"Everyone is safe, and that is what matters most," the cafe wrote on Facebook after the fire.
The St. Paul Fire Department, which was dispatched to the scene just after 10 p.m. on Wednesday, was able to extinguish the fire and save a cat from one of the apartments, per the Pioneer Press.
Smoke damage has also forced the closure of neighboring shops We Are the Starborn and Liminal Lounge.
"The smoke damage forced us to close our doors until further notice, and as small, independent businesses, the amount [of] property damage and inability to be open to the public is both overwhelming and devastating to our livelihoods," We Are the Starborn wrote on Instagram.
Due to the fire, Groundswell, which opened in 2009, has temporarily closed its doors with no reopening date lined up. In response, a GoFundMe campaign has been launched to support the cafe and its employees.
"This fund will go towards securing a financial safety net for the staff to aid them during this troubling time," the fundraiser says.
The campaign aims to raise $25,000 and had collected more than $7,600 in donations from the community by Sunday.
Additionally, We Are the Starborn is having an online sale to support its recovery. It says in a social media post that 10% of all sales and donations will be given to Groundswell.
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