FAIRPLAY, Colo. — If you have lost everything, how are you supposed to feel? That's what the owner of the Mr. Burro Cafe is navigating as she grieves the loss of the restaurant and worries about how her six employees will make it through.
"I was out on my ranch, and my wife called and said something awful has happened in Fairplay," said Bob White, who owns a ranch near the cafe. "I thought somebody died, and she said the Brown Burro is burning. And really, that was as bad as somebody dying."
Fairplay is a little town in the middle of South Park at 10,000 feet, with fewer than 1,000 residents.
Outside the cafe, it’s like time stopped. The menu in the window featuring their Fairplay skillet is still taped up. The waffle maker and a bag of bagels sit outside on ice and broken twigs.
Owner Mily Romero stood outside, surrounded by reminders of the cafe's past.
"I just told them I'm praying for them and wanted to hug them," said Jane Newman, who went up to Mily to hug her.
The hardest part isn't losing her business or figuring out her next step. Mily is most concerned about her six employees, who are like family to her.
"We lost everything... Our income. I know they have payments too," she said.
"She’s worried about everyone else… except herself," White said.
If she’s here today for one reason, it’s to make sure everyone knows how grateful she is for her very small family of 700 people.
Ashes may be flying away, but what remains is the community’s unwavering support for Mily and her six employees. With hope and help, there is determination for the Mr. Burro Cafe to return stronger than before.
To help Mily, her employees, and rebuild the Mr. Burro Cafe, please consider donating to their GoFundMe page.
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