About to reopen after the fire, setback now expected for weeks
Duke’s restaurant is digging out after a Feb. 13 storm system unleashed heavy rainfall, triggering a torrent of mud in Malibu that inundated the iconic establishment that’s been welcoming visitors and locals for three decades. The beloved beachfront establishment was overwhelmed by mud and debris, leading to extensive damage after it miraculously survived the Palisades Fire and was getting ready to reopen in just two weeks. Now, a reopening is not expected for at least two months or longer, which means a big hit for one of Malibu’s biggest employers.
The mudslide not only affected Duke’s but also caused disruptions with debris burying sections of the highway along PCH which has been closed from Chautauqua to Carbon Beach Terrace.
Jimmy Chavez, general manager and partner in the restaurant managed to make his way to the site to survey the damage and start the cleanup process on Feb. 14. “I just had to get down here and get some eyes on it.” Chavez has steered the restaurant through other disasters, including the 2011 flood that closed Duke’s for a full eight weeks. He described this mudslide as “much worse.”
Chavez knew there was the possibility of another disaster after the Palisades Fire. “This property has flooded many times over over the years. In terms of precaution, there’s only so much we can do. We had barricades and pylons on PCH and sandbags. This flood was just too much for any of that and flooded the entire restaurant.” Two to three feet of mud and debris infiltrated most of the building.
Chavez explained crews were in the process of trying to get the water out “so it doesn’t cause permanent damage. “Our walls in the restaurant are koa wood, which is a really rare tropical hardwood. It’s really hard to get nowadays, and so we’re trying to remediate that so we don’t lose all of that, but yeah, it’s gonna be a pretty long rebuilding process. We still have so much to kind of figure out.”
Chavez expressed concern for the 130 employees, six of whom lost their homes in the fire, including Duke’s two-decade-plus Ambassador of Aloha, Gidget, Kathy Kohner-Zuckerman. The woman who the Gidget book, movies, and television show franchise is based has indicated she wants to return to Duke’s as soon as the restaurant is open again for business.There are a few GoFundMe’s for the employees whose homes burned and the restaurant may start a gift card program or employee assistance program later after the cleanup is in full swing.
Duke’s was just finishing smoke remediation before the mudslide and had been planning a reopening in two weeks. “When it’s time to reopen, we’ll have to try our best to get our crew back and build from which we’ve done before sadly,” Chavez explained.
Chavez is grateful for his loyal employees, many who have offered to come to the site to physically do the work of removing the messy debris. But professional crews were there Friday working to fix the damage. “It’s really just about getting the mud and the water out and getting things drying as soon as possible.”
The restaurant manager said it’s a priority to get Duke’s employees back to work and to serve customers from near and far with the spirit of Aloha once again, as it’s been a community gathering place for three decades.
“I would just, you know, 29 years in the Malibu community, and when we are able to reopen, just come on down for some fish tacos and Hula pie. That’s the best way to support us at this point.”
