One of Downtown Lafayette's favorite cafés is closed until further notice after an early-morning fire on Saturday.

Fire trucks were parked with lights and sirens on as yellow tape surrounded the patio that usually seats guests of Black Café. Instead, residents of the nearby Uptown Lofts apartments were hanging out as authorities checked the building to make sure it was OK for them to go back inside after one of the units caught fire.

According to a post from the official Black Café Facebook page, their restaurant was affected by the blaze as the unit that caught fire was located directly above them.

Black Cafe, Facebook
Black Cafe, Facebook
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Owners Trey and Jodee Ware say they are grateful that no one was hurt in the fire, but their restaurant suffered "significant water and smoke damage" that will force them to remain "closed until repairs can be made."

Black Cafe, Facebook
Black Cafe, Facebook
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Ware is no stranger to water damage, as Black Café has dealt with flooding in the Fightin'ville area numerous times. But Ware says this time the water came from above.

Right now, we are wrapping our heads around the steps we need to take to resume business. We are accustomed to flooding and have taken the necessary precautions for those situations, but this time, water came from above, and it is impossible to have contingency plans for both possibilities.

While the Wares felt very fortunate that no one was hurt, they didn't mince words about the reality of what the business and its employees are set to face in the coming weeks.

Black Cafe, Facebook
Black Cafe, Facebook
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They are currently continuing to assess the full scope of the damages done by the Saturday morning fire.

We are going to need help in the coming days and weeks. We will need to fundraise, and we may need volunteer help, as well. Our employees’ livelihoods have once again been disrupted, and we need to get back to work as soon as possible.

Even at a time like this, the Black Café team is keeping their customers, as well as their Downtown, Fightin'ville, and LaPlace communities top of mind.

Again, we are only in the early stages of learning the specifics of the damage and what we need to do to get back on our feet. We are proud to be part of the fabric of this community – as a café, caterer, and meeting place – and want to get back to serving you soon.

The best thing to do is to keep an eye on the official Black Café Facebook page for more information and find out ways that you can help and/or support them in the coming weeks.

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