For more than 50 years, Jakeeno’s Pizza and Pasta joint has been a mainstay in south Minneapolis. Now, it’s gutted.
Owners Patty and Amy Keegan looked on as their restaurant burned during a July 11 fire. It’s the fresh start they didn’t ask for.
“The fire was started on the rooftop,” said Patty Keegan.
The owners said the source of the fire was an overheated wire.
“Cellulose and insulation just covered the floor,” Amy Keegan said, referring to how the inside looked right after the fire. “Everything just kind of fell through the ceiling.”
It’s the latest blow for a business that weathered not only COVID-19 but the murder of George Floyd and the unrest that followed. Floyd was killed just two blocks down the street.
With all the damage, reopening doesn’t just happen overnight.
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“We’re just waiting on the insurance claim to come through. They’re doing their due diligence on their end. Thankfully, we’re very well insured and we’re just kind of waiting for that process to happen,” said Amy Keegan.
As they wait on insurance, an online fundraiser has been launched. Donations go directly to wages and tips for Patty, Amy and everyone who works at the restaurant.
“We want them back; we appreciate them. We feel terrible that they lost their jobs from this and so we’re just trying to keep everybody whole,” said Patty Keegan.
In the meantime, Amy and Patty Keegan said you can show support by purchasing their pasta sauces and frozen pizzas, which are still being sold at local grocery stores and co-ops. They hope to reopen by the end of the year.
“Now we will just start over and rebuild it and just keep going,” said Patty Keegan.
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