San Francisco staple Mel’s Drive-In is indefinitely closed after a kitchen fire

San Francisco staple Mel’s Drive-In is indefinitely closed after a kitchen fire

Long-time San Francisco staple Mel’s Drive-In is indefinitely closed after a kitchen fire on Tuesday morning at the location on Lombard Street. Officials said there were no injuries.

SAN FRANCISCO - Long-time San Francisco staple Mel’s Drive-In is indefinitely closed after a kitchen fire on Tuesday morning at the location on Lombard Street. Officials said there were no injuries.

Why you should care:

The iconic and popular late-night diner that brings you back to the 50s has grown to become a chain, but this specific location is special as the longest continuously running Mel’s Drive-In.

Melvin Soto, the general manager at the restaurant, surveyed the damage Tuesday afternoon.

"It’s a lot of damage inside, you can tell, but, I’m glad everybody is safe at home," he said.

He said he got the call just before four in the morning from two members of his cleaning staff who were in the building when the fire broke out.

"They were cleaning some things outside when they saw the fire on top of the roof," Soto said.

What we know:

The San Francisco Fire Department said it started in the flue area of the kitchen. 

Crews spent the early morning hours extinguishing the fire, spreading from the hood above the stove and in the attic.

Now, melted ceilings and puddles of water are left behind.

"We’re just emotional because this place is very important for us, for everybody," said Soto. "I just want to cry right now because I think about my employees, the place, we got a good team here. We’re like a family."

The backstory:

Mel’s Drive-In is a family business, first opened in 1947 by Mel Weiss. The restaurant eventually closed in the 70s, but in the 80s, Mel’s son, Steven, reopened the diner, starting with the location on Lombard Street in 1985.

More than 40 years later, Steven’s sons and Mel’s grandsons, Colton and Chasen, are part owners and operators for all nine locations.

"It was the location that really brought back Mel's," said Colton. "I mean I grew up in the restaurant and running around there."

Regulars came by to check on the business after hearing about the damage. Many neighbors took photos as they walked by.

Savy Ho, who owns a nearby barber shop, said she ate breakfast for dinner there the night before the fire.

"It must have happened 5 hours after I left, I was sitting at the bar right there," she said as she peered into the windows.

Another neighboring business owner, Jack Rhiel, said seeing the damage puts things into perspective for him. 

"Being in business, you think it’s going to last forever and that kind of thing. You see something like this you feel for the people that are the owners and stuff, hopefully they can rebuild," said Rhiel.

The clean-up is underway. Meanwhile, the cause of the fire is still under investigation.

"All my employees, they called me. They’re not worried about the job," said Soto. "They’re worried about ‘Hey, can we help with something, can we go and clean something?’"

Weiss said he hopes to be up and running in a few months. He said they plan to throw a grand re-opening celebration for the community.