James Riswick
Staff Writer
Pepperdine students are mourning the loss of a popular hang-out spot after an early afternoon fire at the Cross Creek shopping center on Sunday April 17.
An electrical fire that began in the Bay City Beauty Supply spread quickly through the strip mall’s attic to neighboring Casa Escobar, causing heavy damage to the Mexican restaurant. Best known for its happy hour and free appetizers, Casa Escobar had become the ‘it’ place to go after classes for those students 21 years or older.
Firefighters were on the scene in less than a minute since some were planning on going to Casa Escobar for Sunday Brunch. In total, it took an hour and a half for more than 60 firefighters from 14 different companies to extinguish the fire that was made worse by the many chemicals and aerosol cans in the beauty supply store. There were no injuries.
“Aggressive fire fighting was able to stop it,” said Captain Mark Savage, Los Angeles County Fire Department Public Information Officer. “A fire like this, containing it to the business involved is always our priority. It was difficult, but they got in there and called for extra ladder companies to go in there and do some extra ventilation work.”
For those enjoying Brunch at Casa Escobar, the news of a fire next door didn’t initially cause much concern.
“The gal next door at the Bay Cities came over saying ‘call 911, call 911, my building’s on fire,’” said Casa Escobar owner Kathy Escobar Harvey. “It happened really fast. I told all the patrons very calmly that there was a fire next door … but they wouldn’t leave, they were just looking at me like I was a crazy lady. Then all of a sudden there were explosions and everybody ran.
“The firemen told me it was like hand grenades flying by them because (the aerosol cans) were just blowing up. It was intense.”
In addition to the businesses effected, four cars that were parked outside the mall were destroyed. Junior Jackie Chiuchiarelli’s BMW X5 was among the vehicular casualties.
“We heard the glass explode across the street (at Bay Cities) and came running out,” said Chiuchiarelli who was eating lunch with some friends at Malibu Country Kitchen after shopping. “My car was just melted and destroyed.”
The firefighters told Chiuchiarelli to stay put until the fire was put out, but by the time that happened an hour later, her car’s front end and parts of the interior had been destroyed. Some of the day’s purchases located in the trunk were spared, but smelled like burning BMW.
Although Bay Cities and neighboring Fast Frame were gutted and are a total loss, Casa Escobar was effectively saved from a similar fate by some smart construction on the part of its owners.
“What saved the restaurant was my husband put three to four inches of stucco and cement on the walls, so it stopped the fire from coming over to us,” Harvey said. “We have that rock wall with the waterfall on it, so that also prevented the fire from coming over and destroying everything. If that wasn’t there, the firemen told me ‘your place would’ve been history.’”
Most of the heavy damage to the restaurant was located on the roof where the fire worked its way past Casa Escobar and as far as the Wallace Theater, causing moderate damage to it and Ben & Jerry’s. In addition to Casa Escobar’s roof, the flooring and some furniture were damaged, however, the restaurant’s most valuable items were spared.
“All my artwork, all my family photos were OK, so we lucked out,” Harvey said. “But what breaks my heart is my employees. It took me so long to get the great employees I have and a lot of them, this is their livelihood and this is how they support their families.”
Harvey said, however, that she has already received calls from other restaurants in Malibu looking for workers with experience in the restaurant business.
For Pepperdine students, the indefinite loss of Casa Escobar means much more than just one fewer place to hang out in Malibu.
“Casa Escobar was a great excuse to escape to a close non-academic atmosphere, socialize, and eat decent Mexican food,” senior Catie Royal said. “I’ll miss the happy hour opportunity – walking in in the late afternoon, knowing that at least four of my friends will be there. Sipping moderately priced margaritas, eating free food, and catching up with one another before going to yet another class, or studying for yet another test.”
For most, hearing that Casa Escobar was no more, was a surprise and hard to believe.
“I was greatly disappointed,” senior Brian Bushway said. “It was a college-accessible place, and there’s practically none of those in Malibu. The unfortunate thing about it was that it was just becoming the spot to go in the afternoon, and unfortunately it’s no longer there.”
Harvey said she plans on rebuilding the Malibu restaurant, but when reconstruction and refurbishment commences will depend on the Cross Creek shopping center’s owners. There is another Casa Escobar in Marina Del Rey. That location has been open since 1976 when Harvey’s father Peter Escobar moved his parent’s original Casa Escobar from Los Agneles, where it had been since 1946. The Malibu location has been open for almost two years.
“We were doing so well, business was so busy,” Harvey said. “Patrons were going, ‘I don’t think they’re going to realize how much they’re going to be craving their margaritas and their enchiladas’ … They said, ‘when you re-open, you’ll get lots of support.’”
Judging by the disappointment frequent Pepperdine patrons are feeling, she’s probably right.
04-22-2005