When word of the Thomas Fire made its way to Hawaii, where Cindy Black was on vacation, she knew that The Blue Owl, her beloved, Foodie Award–winning eatery on West Canon Perdido Street, had to do something. “I have employees who live in Santa Paula and Carpinteria,” she said. “Everybody’s really sad right now, so I wanted to give people a place to have some breakfast, drink some coffee, and watch some sketch comedies, like Mr. Show and Upright Citizens Brigade.”
That means Sunday, December 10, from 10 a.m. until 3 p.m. (or when the food runs out), The Blue Owl will be serving a breakfast of “eggs, potatoes, toast, and whatever’s leftover in the fridge — probably some fried rice,” according to Black. Those displaced by the Thomas Fire can eat for free; others can come and pay whatever they want, which will go straight to evacuees. “Patrons can drop off bread, peanut butter, toiletries, toothbrushes, toothpaste, and we’ll get all that to the shelters,” added Black.
Others will also be pitching in, like Alvaro Rojas from Milk & Honey and Alcazar. “We just wanted to help,” she said. “At first we wanted to cook in the parking lots of the shelters, but we weren’t sure we could get permits, or it would be too ashy.” So, instead, the Owl will open its doors on Sunday to welcome a stricken community in.
The Blue Owl (5 W. Canon Perdido St., (805) 705-0991, blueowlsb.com) serves free breakfast to Thomas Fire evacuees on Sun., Dec. 10, 10am-3pm.