Community rallies around local taco shop
by Holly Allen
Fire Chief Jason Klenklen reports it took the department just 10 minutes to contain the blaze which began in the kitchen at Lago Vista Grill, Ozawkie, the evening of Jan. 9. Even still, he estimates the fire caused between $175,000-$250,000 in damages to the building at 102 Main Street.
The structure fire likely started around 9:30 p.m. and was reported by a third party at 10 p.m. after seeing flames at the east end of the building.
“At this time, we believe the cause to be electrical in nature,” stated Chief Klenklen, who served as incident commander at the scene. “The state fire marshal has also conducted an investigation, and while we are awaiting their final report, we don’t anticipate there will be any surprises.”
Ozawkie’s Fire District No. 7 served as the primary responders, and were aided by fire districts 5,6, and 11. Because of the building’s setup, crews had a very short window to gain access to the structure, and made the call to knock the glass out of the front window in order to combat the blaze. As it was mostly contained to the kitchen, it was a multiple product fire, so an encapsulating agent was utilized in extinguishing the flames. About 250 gallons of water were spent for initial compression, with just 800 gallons required in total.
“Our initial responders did a fantastic job. They did exactly what they were trained to do,” said Chief Klenklen.
Though devastated at the news, Lago Vista owner Miguel Cadena reports he felt hopeless for only a short amount of time.
“As I stood there, looking at what was left, my heart ached—not just for the loss of a building, but for what it represents to so many. This restaurant wasn’t just mine; it belonged to the community. It was a safe place, a place where memories were made and stories shared. With so many restaurants in our area disappearing, this loss feels deeply personal—not just for me, but for all of us,” he stated. “The realization made the path really clear that I need to bring this back for the community.”
Armed with the knowledge that Cadena intends to rebuild, the community quickly rallied around him and his staff. A GoFundMe was set up with a $15,000 goal to get them by for the present, and to help in the recovery process. As of Monday morning, nearly $3,000 had been donated toward that end.
And on Sunday afternoon, less than three days after the devastating fire, Cadena was back to serving up food for the community as the Ozawkie American Legion Post became Lago Vista headquarters, providing free meals utilizing the food which was safely stored in the walk-in freezer, separate from the building. More than $1,700 in additional cash donations was raised that day by grateful and supportive patrons of the restaurant over the years.
“I had all this food and wanted to do something for all the people who have been standing up for me,” Cadena said.
“We need to defend all of the restaurants in our county just as zealously. Please support them. And I will be working hard to make sure we can come back and, luckily, I have people behind me to get that done.”
The timing of the rebuild will likely depend on the insurance investigation and timeline. The kitchen, which bore the brunt of the blaze, will need completely rebuilt.
Until he is able to reopen, Cadena intends to utilize his food trailer, perhaps even borrowing a larger one, in the restaurant’s parking lot and around the county for catering and events to “keep the vibe alive,” as he put it, good-naturedly.
“It’s been healing for the soul to see the community gathered around us during this time,” Cadena said. “Stay tuned as I formulate a plan with my team for moving forward. Thank you all for your support, kindness, and belief in what we’ve created together. We’ll be back stronger than ever—because this isn’t just a restaurant. It’s a community, and together, we’re unstoppable.”