Located at 908 Henderson St., Houston, the bar has been a staple in the area for more than five years, Long said. As she works through the insurance process, she said she has also launched a fundraiser to solicit help from the community.
"We’re definitely not giving up," she said. "We want to build back and come back."
Long said damage to the existing two-story building has been significant, and demolition will take place this weekend if approved.
Money raised from the fundraiser will first help staff members stay on their feet as they transition to other jobs. Long said she has already helped a number of them find work at other restaurants and bars for the holiday season by using her contacts in the industry. The plan is to bring all the staff back once the bar reopens, she said.
"The staff suddenly being out of the job was the hardest part," Long said.
Anything left over from the fundraiser will go to the rebuild, Long said. Although the fire damage was extensive, she said a pair of large Astros-branded deck chairs survived.
"The fire had to cross the Astros chairs ... but there's not a single char or mark on them," she said.
The Houston Fire Department, which responded to the incident, said no injuries were reported and the cause of the fire is being investigated. The department estimated $60,000 in damages.
A GoFundMe for the bar can be found here.
