CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — An electrical fire broke out on the roof of Calumet Fisheries in South Chicago on Tuesday, according to the Chicago Fire Department and the restaurant owner.
Chicago fire officials posted about the fire shortly after 1:15 p.m., and Calumet Fisheries co-owner Mark Kotlick told WBBM the roof fire stemmed from an electrical issue. No injuries were reported, but Kotlick said it's unclear how damaged the establishment will be.
The 75-year-old restaurant, located near 95th Street and the Calumet River, had only reopened days ago. It had been closed since Oct. 31, after the health department found evidence of rodents — including over 150 mice and rat droppings in Calumet Fisheries’ basement storage areas.
The restaurant was back in business Saturday as employees spent most of Friday smoking fish preparing to open again the next day, Kotlick.
“We’ve never been shut down, and the particular inspector did not choose to work with us and let us stay open while we cleared the violations,” Kotlick told the Sun-Times on Sunday night. “It just didn’t seem right. … It’s never affected our food.”
Kotlick said he didn’t want to bash the city because the inspections are “very necessary,” but he took issue with the restaurant being shut down, saying it’s never happened before. He expressed frustration at the length of the closure.
The restaurant had previously failed an inspection in February 2020 when inspectors found more than two dozen rodent droppings throughout the building, among other issues, according to city records. An October 2022 inspection was spurred by a complaint, though evidence of pests wasn’t found at that time.
Kotlick said the issue was seasonal as pests looked for a place to hide from the cold, often choosing the restaurant’s basement. He said extra efforts, mostly in the form of traps, are brought out each year to combat it.
He also said the restaurant almost didn’t return, facing almost a month of lost revenue, though Kotlick cited his employees and “phenomenal” customers for keeping the business afloat — especially with Thanksgiving coming up, when he said the restaurant’s business picks up.
“It’s in the past, I’m ready to move on,” Kotlick said. “We just hope to continue to provide the Southeast Side with probably the best seafood in the U.S.”
Kotlick told WBBM that the fire would force him to close for an unspecified amount of time, but he added that he plans to reopen.
The restaurant survived the closing from the health inspection, he said, and it will survive the fire, as well.
Chicago fire officials said an investigation into the fire was underway.
The Sun-Times Media Wire contributed to this report.
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