When Bad Things Happen to Good Restaurants

On Valentine’s Day afternoon last year, the Chiltern Firehouse, one of London’s most famous celebrity haunts, suffered massive damage after “burning wood falling from a pizza oven [ignited] the void between the basement and ground floor.” The flames spread via airducts up to the third floor, which was completely destroyed along with the building’s roof. As 125 firefighters battled the eight-hour blaze, more than 100 guests were evacuated from the hotel-and-restaurant that’s occupied the 135-year old building since 2013 (it was decommissioned as a fire station in 2005).

The fire was catastrophic, but proprietor Andre Balazs (who also owns Chateau Marmont in Los Angeles, another celebrity-hangout) was fortunate: He had insurance. It will go a long way toward reconstructing the Firehouse under the exacting scrutiny of the UK’s laws for historic buildings. Just as importantly, Balazs had a business disruption policy that covers three years of lost earnings. The Firehouse’s 2024 revenue was reportedly more than £30 million ($41 million). It hopes to reopen by April 2027.