Francesco’s Café asks community for help to repair restaurant after kitchen fire

A family-owned restaurant in Rancho Mirage, Francesco's Café, has been forced to close due to a kitchen fire that took place this past Monday.

At around 11:00 A.M. on July 22, firefighters responded to reports of a fire at Francesco's Café near the corner of Dinah Shore and Bob Hope. Although the fire was quickly extinguished, the damage was still done.

The restaurant was already operating under different business hours after the owner, Jose, suffered a severe stroke in March, leaving his wife Maria and daughter to continue running the restaurant in his absence.

Now, after this most recent setback, the Rancho Mirage business is asking for help from the community. They have created a GoFundMe to raise funds to replace the kitchen parts and appliances that got damaged in the fire.

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"Kitchen equipment, walls, floors, roof panels, and hoods in the kitchen will need replacement including deep cleaning," the GoFundMe page reads. "It has been a whirlwind of tragic events in the last few months, but with your help, Francesco’s Café can be saved and reopened. They hope to continue gathering the community together and bringing joy, one meal at a time."