Checker Bar in downtown Detroit launched a fundraising campaign for its employees after a “devastating” fire broke out early Tuesday morning.
“The impact of this fire reaches far beyond the building—our dedicated team of bartenders, servers, & cooks are facing financial hardships as the bar will be closed for an unknown period of time,” the GoFundMe campaign reads. “For many of them, this job is not just a paycheck—it’s their livelihood, their passion, and their community. While we work to rebuild, we’re asking for your support. Every dollar raised will go directly to our employees who are now facing unexpected financial strain due to the loss of income during this recovery period.”
The goal of the fundraising campaign is to reach $9,000. As of late Wednesday morning, the fundraising campaign had amassed $1,085 in donations.
In a Facebook post Tuesday, the bar said the fire broke out in the electrical room in the basement “in what appears to have been a utilities explosion originating outside of the building.”
DTE Energy crews were outside the bar Tuesday morning and afternoon.
The fire was reported in a 911 call at 4:13 a.m., and firefighters arrived less than five minutes later, Detroit Fire Department spokeswoman Corey McIsaac said.
McIsaac said the fire damage “unfortunately sounds fairly significant.”
On Facebook, Checker Bar called the fire “devastating.”
No injuries were reported, and the cause of the fire is under investigation.
Witnesses said they heard an explosion around the time of the fire.
In the meantime, Checker Bar has no plans to close for good.
“This is an incredibly difficult moment for our team, but we want to reassure everyone that we are committed to rebuilding and coming back stronger,” the bar said on Facebook. “Like the phoenix rising from the ashes, we will emerge from this setback with renewed determination.”
