Karl's Fire
At 6:15 pm on February 15, 2023, a fire broke out behind our restaurant in the middle of a busy Wednesday dinner rush. With a full dining room, guests were quickly asked to evacuate. The blaze began at our employee smoking station, where high winds pushed flames across the rear of the building, causing severe damage to the historic log cabin roadhouse. Thankfully, no one was hurt. Chief James Rachwal and the Salem Township Fire Department arrived immediately, joined by 14 additional departments who battled the fire for more than four hours. Around 11 pm, we were finally able to enter the building to assess the damage.
Although much of the structure was still standing, we didn’t initially grasp the extent of the destruction. The cabin was dark and eerily still, with no power and heavy smoke damage throughout. Food and drinks remained on tables, and even phones and purses were left behind. The smoke odor was overwhelming, and black soot covered every surface. The back hallways were charred, and our banquet room and dish area suffered major fire damage. It quickly became clear this would not be a simple repair.
We met with our staff and shared the difficult news: we would be closed for an unplanned, full-scale remodel. We informed our loyal guests and the community as well. Almost immediately, messages of support poured in from near and far. Soon we learned the only way to properly remediate the smoke damage and restore the cabin was to empty the entire building and gut the interior down to the studs — electrical, plumbing, and all. It would be a long, tedious process, and we had to learn patience, something not common in the restaurant world.
Our incredible staff stepped up right away. Every item in the building was packed into storage containers — seven in total — with only a few pieces saved for future use. Karl’s management team began meeting daily at local restaurants, using their spaces as makeshift offices. Eventually, an RV arrived in our parking lot and became our home base for the next nine months.
During the closure, we created a bowling league to keep our team connected. Already a tight-knit group, we found comfort in seeing each other weekly. No one else could truly understand what we were going through. The league lasted 24 weeks and became both fun and therapeutic, strengthening a bond we’ll never forget. We also hosted summer BBQs, beach outings, and a special wall‑signing event where staff wrote personal messages on the interior studs for future generations to discover.
As months passed, we wondered how long the restoration would take. Finally, after seven months, progress became visible. The smoke smell was gone, and the new vision for both our historic dining room and our new space, The Lodge, began to emerge. We expanded the kitchen as well, improving workflow and making our staff very happy. By September, we were confident we could plan a grand reopening for November 2023. Those final days were unforgettable — an entire team working together, racing toward the finish line. It was a remarkable achievement, and we are endlessly grateful for this crew.
We want to thank everyone who helped us reopen. There are far too many contractors, public servants, friends, and vendors to list, but a few deserve special recognition. Salem Township supported us every step of the way — the board, building inspectors, and township supervisor were instrumental in helping us rebuild quickly. This community is truly one of a kind.
We are deeply grateful to our contractors for their extraordinary effort. Restoring and remodeling the cabin in under 10 months was a monumental task. Our general contractor, Darin Berry, and the team at 360 Fire & Flood delivered exceptional workmanship. Our friend Mark Waldecker provided crucial architectural plans that saved valuable time. And our friend Jim Fellwock of Jayz Electric — the subcontractor who was with us from day one to the very end — did outstanding work. As Jim likes to say, “this project never ends.”
We also want to thank our insurance partners at Farm Bureau of Michigan — our agent Patrick Conklin and our adjuster Ron Janowski. Patrick supported us from the very beginning, offering guidance and reassurance. Ron asked for the chance to make things right, and he followed through. Without Farm Bureau, reopening simply wouldn’t have been possible.
A heartfelt thank‑you goes to all the fire and emergency agencies who saved the cabin: Ann Arbor City FD, Ann Arbor Twp. FD, Dexter FD, Northfield FD, South Lyon FD, Scio FD, Superior FD, Northville City FD, Northville Twp. FD, Plymouth FD, Plymouth Twp. FD, Canton FD, Lyon FD, Salem FD, Huron Valley Ambulance, Michigan State Police, and the Washtenaw County Sheriff. We will never forget seeing you on the roof and inside the building while the fire was still active. Without you, the loss would have been far greater.
To our community, thank you for the overwhelming love and support during our closure. Your posts, messages, calls, cards, and visits motivated us every day. And thank you to Tom and Theo Maged for creating a GoFundMe to support our staff — your kindness made a real difference.
Now that we are open again, we cannot wait to welcome you back. Thank you for your unwavering support and loyalty. We truly missed you.