A Brooklyn restaurant is looking to rebuild after a two-alarm fire tore through its kitchen over the weekend.
The blaze broke out just after 11 a.m. on June 24 inside Giovanni’s Brooklyn Eats, near the corner of Prospect Avenue and Eighth Avenue in Park Slope. Firefighters arrived to find heavy black smoke pouring out of the establishment.
The inferno extended into the ductwork of the building, according to Fire Department officials, and it took just over 100 firefighters utilizing three hose-lines to bring the fire under control.
A GoFundMe for the family-run Italian restaurant has already raised more than $15,000. Though no one was hurt, the eatery “sustained significant damage,” according to the crowdfunding page.
“As everyone knows, Giovanni’s is more than a restaurant, it’s an integral part of the Brooklyn community, where families celebrate landmark events and musicians spontaneously gather to play jazz classics,” the page reads.
The devastating blaze comes as Giovanni’s, which boasts “real Italian dishes made from real Italian family recipes,” continues to bounce back from pandemic-related losses, according to the GoFundMe.
Patrons quickly opened their wallets, and many flooded the comments with messages of support.
“There’s no place like it,” wrote one donor, “where you walk in and feel right at home.”
The fire remains under investigation by the FDNY Fire Marshals office.
