Three months.
That is how long Osteria Otto had been open before a fire tore through the building and left the restaurant completely destroyed.
The Italian restaurant at 8th and Main in Mount Pleasant confirmed the devastating news on Instagram on March 26, writing “Last night, our hearts broke.”
According to CBC, the fire started at approximately 8:15 p.m. on March 25 in a bedroom on the third floor of the older three-storey building.
The cause might have been an electric blanket, but investigations are still ongoing.
The restaurant was completely full when the fire broke out.
All patrons were evacuated safely.
While no one was injured, the water damage from firefighting efforts left the restaurant completely destroyed.
Osteria Otto opened just this past December after more than a year of planning, building, and dreaming by co-owners Ignacio Arrieta, Joe Fazio, and Daniel Panduro.
In their short time open, the restaurant had already started building a loyal following in the neighbourhood.
It is also connected to Nonna’s Cucina, a well-known Vancouver Italian restaurant.
In a separate Instagram post, the Nonna’s team wrote “Many of you may or may not know… Nonna’s had a sister restaurant named Otto. In just a matter of hours, everything changed.”
The building itself is the DePencier House, a heritage structure built around the 1880s.
It is one of the city’s oldest standing homes outside the downtown core.
Osteria Otto was not the only business affected.
Dandy Barber, which also operates in the building, has been displaced as well.
Six residents in the units above were also displaced by the fire.
The restaurant’s immediate focus is on its people.
A team of 20 staff members has suddenly found themselves without a workplace or a paycheck.
A GoFundMe has been launched to help cover lost wages and provide emergency support as the team navigates this sudden transition.
“Our staff are the heartbeat of Osteria Otto, and they have suddenly found themselves without a workplace or a paycheck,” the team wrote.
Osteria Otto is closed until further notice.
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Address: 151 E 8th Ave, Vancouver, BC V5T 1R8