EL CAJON, Calif. (KGTV) — A devastating fire at Junction Bar and Grill in El Cajon has left the popular neighborhood restaurant in ruins and displaced dozens of employees, with damage estimates exceeding $1 million.
The fire broke out Tuesday morning at the longtime establishment, forcing the closure of the restaurant that has served the community for more than 10 years. Owner Diah Asker said the building has been taped off since the incident, and he's unsure what can be salvaged from the wreckage.
"We've hardly been inside. It's just, it's been pretty bad," Asker said.
Heartland Fire and Rescue teams assessed the damage and determined the fire caused more than $1 million in losses. The blaze also spread into an attic space shared by other businesses in the same strip mall, though no injuries were reported.
The El Cajon location employed between 70 and 80 people, all of whom are now out of work. Asker described his staff and customers as family, emphasizing the restaurant's role as a community gathering place.
"We're all a family here. It's a neighborhood bar. We're a staple here in El Cajon, so we miss all that on a daily. We live, eat, and breathe this area," Asker said.
The owner compared Junction Bar and Grill to the fictional bar from the TV show "Cheers," where regulars know each other by name, and everyone feels welcome.
"We're just like a Cheers bar. We're just known, everyone knows each other's names, and we're all family here," Asker said.
To help support displaced employees during this difficult time, the restaurant has established a GoFundMe page. Asker emphasized that all donations will go directly to helping staff members who lost their jobs due to the fire.
"They set up a GoFundMe page. If anyone's willing to donate, all the funds strictly go to the employees," Asker said.
Despite the devastating loss, Asker remains optimistic about the future. He plans to rebuild the restaurant, making it "bigger and better" than before, though he acknowledged the process will take time.
"It's starting from scratch, so we're going to rebuild bigger and better and go from there," Asker said.
Junction Bar and Grill operates two other locations in Scripps Ranch and Santee, which remain open and unaffected by the fire.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
