A GoFundMe campaign is raising money for employees of Greenpoint restaurant Sereneco after a major fire Aug. 28 caused significant damage to the Franklin Street eatery and forced it to close indefinitely.
The fire broke out Friday morning on the second floor of the multi-commercial building at 113 Franklin St., according to Greenpointers. The blaze required a response from 79 FDNY and EMS personnel and took nearly two hours to bring under control. Several firefighters suffered minor injuries and were transported to NYU Langone.
The Instagram account FDNY Response Videos reported that the fire was located in the kitchen walls of the two-story, non-fireproof commercial building.
While owner Billy Van Dolsen assesses the damage and works through the insurance process, which can take months, his team is out of work for the foreseeable future. The $35,000 fundraiser will help replace lost income for his staff.
In a statement on GoFundMe, Van Dolsen thanked Greenpoint neighbors for making his restaurant, which opened five years ago, a success. He noted that 100% of donations will be distributed to Sereneco employees who lost their income and that none of the money raised will be used to rebuild the restaurant or compensate ownership.
“I’m working through the insurance process and doing everything I can to rebuild and reopen, but that’s going to take months, and my team is out of work in the meantime. That’s what this is for. What’s raised here will be distributed to my staff. Not to me, not to the restaurant,” Van Dolsen said. “The rebuild is mine to figure out with insurance. This is about the people who poured themselves into this place, so they’re supported while we’re closed. My hope is to have every one of them back when we reopen.”
The fire also affected several other businesses in and around the building, which is home to Azure Gourmet, Chama Mama and Threes Brewing. Staff at Maman, located at 84 Kent St., said the cafe also temporarily closed because of the fire.
Van Dolsen said the neighborhood’s response has already been encouraging, with regular customers, friends and local businesses reaching out to offer support. He specifically thanked Valentine Studios for helping organize the fundraiser.
“If you’re able to give, anything helps,” Van Dolsen wrote. “If you’re hiring and could use extraordinary people, reach out to me directly, I’ll vouch for every single one of them.”
“Thank you for showing up for a place, and a group of people, that have tried to show up for this neighborhood,” he wrote.
As of Monday afternoon, the campaign had raised more than $9,000 toward its $35,000 goal.
