The future of the Altadina restaurant that survives in the fire is full of uncertainty

Three days after Eaton swallowed his home in Altadine, Leo Bolgalini passed through the community that was razed to the flat, and inspected his restaurant after burnt houses and destroyed companies.

When he approached the corners of Altadine Avenue and Lake Avenue, about half a mile of the burned house, he immediately noticed the strange rabbit museum and open road bicycle shops that had been burnt by the burnt rubble. Bulgarini Vino Cucina, his restaurant and ice cream shop, is less than a football field.

He expects his company to encounter the same destiny.

This is not the case.

His restaurant was hidden in the courtyard of the shopping mall and still stands.

“Why is my company one of the only companies that have not been burned?” He thought. “Why are everything else burned?”

He felt comfortable, but was helpless.

The ice cream shops and restaurants inside look intact.

Then Bulgarini smelled the smoke. He saw the ashes on the ground. He noticed the water on the roof -it is likely to be a firefighter from trying to protect the shopping mall -gathered on the kitchen floor, some water splashed on his ice cream machine, and it was likely to destroy them.

No strength. No tap water.

At that time, it clicked.

His restaurant survived in the fire of Eaton, but he might not survive after the disaster.

After Eaton's fire, Leo Bulgarini (Leo Bulgarini) was maintained in his Altadina restaurant and ice cream shop, but his community was almost destroyed.

(Lauri Ochoa/Los Angeles Times)

Bulgarini is not alone. Several Aldidine restaurants have survived the fire, but due to the displacement of many customers, it is necessary to respond to what happened next -the uncertain future, coupled with the cleanup, rent and other operating costs of enterprises that cannot be operated continuously Increase cost.

“This is an open wound,” Bulgarini said when he talked about his neighbors. “Most of the people here have disappeared. They don't want to eat ice cream with their families. They are no longer here. Their home is gone.”

Burgalini knew that at least 12 customers in his restaurant lost their homes in the fire. In Altadine alone, the fire destroyed more than 9,400 buildings and damaged more than 1,000 buildings.

“I do not expect anyone to come here and spend two hours for dinner,” he said. “This business is almost stagnant within at least one year.”

Bugarini said he might temporarily move the restaurant to other places, maybe Eagle Rock or Montrose. He will retain the Stidine of Altadi, but he cannot imagine that he will open soon. He said his restaurant could not be used as a safe place for providing or eating food.

The South Greek Greek cafe and the neighboring bakery across the Burgalini courtyard also endured the fire.

The boss Shawn Shakhmalian tried to enter his restaurant for several days, but did not succeed.

On Monday, he walked into his cafe for the first time.

The restaurant is intact.

Shah Malian wore an N95 mask when walking through the kitchen and restaurant, and some of them were covered with dust and ashes. There is a smell of smoke in the air.

He didn't dare to open the refrigerator and freezer. The shop has been power out for several days, and he doesn't want to emit the bad smell of deterioration food.

Shawn Shakhmalian, the owner of Nancy's Greek Cafe, said he did not know when he could re -open the Altadina restaurant and bakery.

(Cindy Karca Momo/Los Angeles Times)

Shah Malian said he lost at least $ 5,000 in food alone. He said he couldn't make up for the loss. Last year, he gave up commercial insurance because the premiums doubled. He said he couldn't afford it.

As of Monday, his cafe still had no tap water and electricity. He said that he had to wait for officials to start the two equipment first, and then sent special personnel to clean up what he said may be “toxic” volcanic ash and fragments.

Shah Malian said that before the fire broke out, the business of Nanyi Store was very deserted. The location of this restaurant is far from the street, located in an inconspicuous shopping mall, and it is difficult to find.

“Now everyone is gone,” he said, “things will become more difficult.”

But he said he didn't want to lose employees who were looking for other jobs. At least two of them -including his chef -lost their homes in the fire.

Shahmarian said he plans to reopen within two to four months after restoration of power supply and water supply, but he said that this may only lead to “another stage of loss.”

“Reinstatement requires a lot of responsibilities, facing salary and rent,” he said, “but there are no customers.”

Currently, Shakhmalia has launched GoFundme to help rebuild his business.

Bulgarini spent three days to clean up his restaurant, throwing away the metamorphic meat, fish, pasta, and 2,300 pounds of handmade ice cream. He estimated that he lost $ 100,000 due to the special raw materials he used and all the labor time required to make ice cream and pasta from scratch.

It takes three days to boil his tempeh alone.

The surviving few foods include handmade nuts he used to make handmade frozen desserts and a $ 1,200 Parma cheese.

Bulgarini was born and grew up in Rome. He first learned to make ice cream in Sicily. He opened Altadena Ice Cream Store in 2006 and won the former Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold and Patricia Escárcega and Patricia Escárcega. 》 The praise of Amy Scattergood, editor -in -chief of the Food Edition. He enjoyed a batch of followers for making Italian desserts with the best raw materials, so he won a group of followers. The nuts he used came from Italy, such as the precious Bronte happy fruit from Sicily. He bought nuts directly from nut growers, bake them and extract oil to make ice cream.

In 2007, Leo Bulgarini was holding ice cream samples outside his Altadine ice cream.

(Stanno Paltra/”Times”)

The 55 -year -old man said his restaurant had insurance, which may make up for some of his losses, but may not be all.

He initiated GoFundme, raised funds to restart and support employees at the new place, until the Altadine restaurant could be safely opened.

Bolgarini raised objections to outsiders, and they thought he must be fine, because his restaurant still stood still without being burned.

“Bulgarini is not very good,” he said when he talked about his restaurant. “In all of this, we are not the winner at all. You lose your home, so you lose your refuge, you really lose your business now, because it will not exist for a period of time. There is no winner here. There is no winner here. “” “

Most of the time Bulgarini and Shahmarian are fighting for assistance and housing for themselves or employees. They are dealing with complicated documents required by the Federal Emergency Affairs Administration and insurance companies.

Bulgarini said he really didn't have much time to mourn the lost home, which was a Spanish bungalow in 1923.

Leo Bulgarini (Altadena), who was destroyed after Eaton's fire, was destroyed.

(Albert Lee/Los Angeles Times)

He and his wife Elizabeth were too busy. On the one hand, he had to find a new place to open a restaurant, and on the other hand, he arranged for the 17 -year -old son Lorenzo's normal life.

Bulgarini has spurred himself to continue. He said he needed to work so that he could pay the bill and maintain rationality.

But sometimes -usually at night -Burgalini can't help feeling frustrated. The sense of helplessness was spontaneous, and the problem followed.

“Why can't you do more?” He thought. “Why can't you save your friend's house?”

Over the years, he realized that if he wrote his own thoughts, it would help get rid of this fear.

On Tuesday night, he wrote on the paper with a pencil: “I'm still alive.”