East Side Restaurant Damaged in Overnight Fire
Japanese restaurant Kawa, on Murray Ave. caught fire Tuesday night.
The aftermath of a fire that caused major damage to Kawa, an East Side Japanese restaurant. Photo taken June 7, 2023 by Sophie Bolich.
A fire broke out at Kawa Ramen and Sushi late Tuesday night, resulting in severe damage to the restaurant and several upstairs apartments.
No injuries have been reported as a result of the blaze, which began in the kitchen of the sushi and ramen restaurant, 2321 N. Murray Ave., between 10:30 p.m. and 11 p.m., after closing time, according to owner Selina Zheng.
“We don’t know the reason for the fire yet,” said Zheng, who co-owns the Japanese restaurant with Lin Jin Xiao. “But luckily nobody got hurt. Everybody is safe.”
Zheng said she is in contact with a contractor who will be able to better estimate the timeline and cost of the rebuilding process, but noted that she expects the damage will take upwards of eight months to repair.
The fire does not appear to have spread south to Tavolino and Izzy Hops, two businesses that also occupy the building.
Kawa opened on the East Side in 2017. The restaurant maintains locations at 3rd Street Market Hall, 275 W. Wisconsin Ave., and at 325 W. Silver Spring Dr., in Whitefish Bay., where it will continue to offer its signature tonkatsu ramen bowls, sushi and other dishes while the East Side location rebuilds.
Zheng said she may also look into opening a temporary stand at the nearby Crossroads collective food hall in order to continue serving the East Side neighborhood.
Building owner Michael Vitucci was on-site Wednesday morning as fire crews continued to work in the area. Vitucci, who is also the owner of Izzy Hops, accompanied a fire investigator in walk-throughs of the five apartments and spoke with tenants as they arrived on the scene.
Multiple units are uninhabitable due to water and smoke damage — and will be for at least several months — according to a source at the site.
Tenants of the apartments could be seen packing up their remaining belongings and vacating the building Wednesday morning.
Photos
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