NEW ORLEANS — After an early morning fire badly damaged Willie Mae’s Scotch House in Tremé on Monday, a GoFundMe campaign has been set up to help the staff impacted by the devastating fire.
No one was hurt as the restaurant was closed at the time of the fire. The New Orleans Fire Department suspects the fire started as an electrical fire near an electrical panel.
It took firefighters a few hours to get the 2-alarm fire under control. The fire damaged most of the beloved and iconic soul-food restaurant.
“Thank you to the amazing first responders for their quick action. We have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love and support from our community. To those who have generously asked how they can help, we have set up a Go Fund Me in which 100% of the proceeds will go towards paying our staff and covering any additional costs not covered by insurance. We look forward to reopening as soon as possible,” fundraiser organizers Kerry Seaton Stewart and Danielle Smith said in the GoFundMe post.
The account aims to raise $100,000 to help the restaurant staff and any repairs not covered by insurance.
Established in 1957 in the historic Treme neighborhood, Willie Mae’s became a local favorite for New Orleanians and visitors who enjoyed the Mississippi and Louisiana soul food the kitchen cooked up.
That love of local cuisine led owner, Ms. Willie Mae Seaton, to be honored with the prestigious James Beard Award for “America’s Classic Restaurant for the Southern Region in 2005.
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