Kate and Reinaldo Vargas had to wake up in May to news that a fire had ravaged their restaurant in South East London
A much-loved Argentine restaurant in South East London has been closed for two months after a fire forced the business to close.
Buenos Aires Cafe in Blackheath has been a stalwart in the area since 2007 and will celebrate its 20th anniversary next year. On May 10, a fire broke out in the kitchen, destroying the kitchen and the front part of the restaurant. The family-run restaurant has been a miss for locals on the streets, with customers leaving cards and notes outside the boarded-up building, wondering when it will come back.
Run by the husband-and-wife duo Reinaldo and Kate Vargas, Buenos Aires Cafe has been serving delicious steaks and traditional dishes in South London. They initially started as a deli in 2005 before finding their home in Blackheath in 2007.
Kate told MyLondon: “I’m 62 and my husband is 73, it’s not like we can’t easily rebuild our lives. Seeing the cards and notes outside the shop made me cry [knowing how much people miss us]. You don’t realise until something like this happens how much people loved us. I think we’re a real integral part of the community and it will be really sad for Blackheath if we go.
“We’re a small business, and it’s not something we can easily bounce back from, but seeing the support we’ve got so far is phenomenal. This has been one of the most heartbreaking and life-changing experiences we have ever faced. We have poured our hearts, time, and savings into building our business – seeing it destroyed has been incredibly difficult.
“We are currently going through the insurance process, but over two months later, we are still waiting for answers and remain closed. At this stage, we simply don’t know what the outcome will be or whether we will receive the support we need to rebuild.”
After speaking with a customer, they mentioned that Kate should set up a GoFundMe. 10 weeks on since the fire and with no movement on the claims, the GoFundMe has so far raised £7k, which Kate still can’t believe.
“People kept asking us how we can help and what we can do. Somebody suggested starting a GoFundMe to see what happens, and the response has been amazing. It’s tough running a restaurant business and it’s hard. We don’t have endless funds that we can just dip into. We’ve had to put staff into redundancy who have been with us for years, and it’s devastating.
“We don’t know whether our contents insurance claim is going to be agreed to or not and we’re just waiting. We’ve had people say they’ve got £2,000 in savings, how can we give you that. These are amazing, loyal, wonderful people. It broke me when I saw all the pinned post-it notes and messages,” Kate continued.
The entire kitchen has been destroyed, and the front part of the restaurant on ground level has suffered smoke and water damage. After the Facebook post about the fundraiser, people expressed their support and how much they had missed it.
One person wrote: “Very sad to hear this. We have been coming here for over 13 years, celebrated countless family birthdays. Hope you get this sorted as you are by far the best steak house in London.”
Another said: “So sorry to hear this news. Our totally favourite restaurant for so many reasons!! Wishing you the best of luck with the repairs and really hope you are able to re-open soon. Blackheath would not be the same without you.”
If you’d like to donate to the fundraiser, you can do so here.
Don’t miss out on the biggest local stories. Sign up to our MySouthLondon newsletter HERE for all the latest daily news and more
