Owamni, award-winning Minneapolis restaurant, closed after electrical fire
MINNEAPOLIS -- An award-winning Twin Cities restaurant is temporarily closed after its building caught fire Wednesday afternoon.
Owamni By The Sioux Chef says an electrical fire started on the bottom level of the Water Works Building, near Mill Ruins Park in downtown Minneapolis. No injuries were reported.
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The Minneapolis Park and Recreation Board, which operates the building, said in a statement Thursday that power went out in the building at about 2:30 p.m. Wednesday, and smoke was detected in the electrical room about a half hour later, leading to an evacuation.
Minneapolis firefighters arrived and found a fire had caused extensive damage to the main electrical panel. MPRB officials say the entire building, including Owamni, will remain closed until repairs are finished. It's unclear how long that will take. The cause of the fire is still under investigation.
"Honored and humbled by the outpouring of community support that we've received," said co-owner Dana Thompson. "Everyone on the staff has received dozens, if not hundreds of text messages and emails and words of support from the community."
Owamni was named Best New Restaurant at last year's James Beard Awards.