In a sudden incident that has rocked the small business community of San Ignacio, Cayo District, a devastating fire has forced the indefinite closure of La Oficina, a local staple that has served residents and visitors alike for nearly 13 years.
Owner Lilia shared that while the restaurant’s main dining area avoided catastrophic damage, the kitchen — the operational core of the beloved eatery — was completely destroyed by the blaze. Rebuilding and repairing the damaged space will be a lengthy process, Lilia explained, leaving her searching for an affordable temporary venue that would allow her to get her business running again quickly.
“Starting from zero is not easy,” Lilia said in an interview. “If there is a place I can rent for the time being, I need to work.”
Beyond the damage to property, the closure has left four of the restaurant’s staff out of work while rebuilding efforts proceed. The sudden loss hit close to home for local residents, many of whom have lifelong ties to the eatery. One local resident shared the news in a social media post, writing: “Five families in our beloved community are in a very challenging and painful situation at the moment. La Oficina, which has been a popular restaurant serving great food for many, many years, was suddenly taken away from us due to fire.”
The outpouring of sympathy that followed the news quickly turned into concrete community support. Another local business owner in San Ignacio launched a grassroots fundraising initiative called the “Just a Dollar” campaign, designed to collect small donations from community members to help Lilia and her team cover rebuilding costs.
The campaign organizer emphasized that the effort is about more than just raising funds. “We want them to know there is Community Love, Community Support and Community Hope,” the organizer said. “Hopefully we can help them get back on their business feet.”