A fire on the evening of Aug. 12 has left the celebrated Beverly Hills restaurant Funke temporarily shuttered. The Beverly Hills Fire Department (BHFD) received a fire alarm call from the South Santa Monica Boulevard eatery at 6:31 p.m. The first of multiple units arrived on scene at 6:32 p.m., where they remained until 10:30 p.m. During the evening, a massive ladder was extended from one of the trucks to the rooftop of the restaurant.
A city of Beverly Hills spokesperson described the fire as “small” and “contained primarily within the ventilation duct system with minimal damage to the restaurant.” The spokesperson added that the cause of the blaze is still under investigation.
Chef Evan Funke provided this statement to the Courier regarding the incident at his eponymous establishment:
“To our cherished guests and friends,
Last night, a fire occurred in the upper portion of our exhaust system, the cause of which is still unknown. We’re relieved to share that all building safety systems functioned exactly as designed.
Thanks to the calm cooperation of everyone present, our staff and guests were evacuated swiftly and safely. Our deepest gratitude to the Beverly Hills Fire Department for their rapid response and expert handling of the situation.
To our guests with reservations this week, our team will be reaching out personally to arrange alternative accommodations at either Felix or Mother Wolf. We’re truly grateful for your patience and understanding as we work diligently to repair and restore the affected areas.
We can’t wait to host you all very soon.
All love and pasta.
EF”
The tri-level Funke opened in 2023 to great acclaim, with an emphasis on hand-crafted regional pasta dishes. Like its fellow Evan Funke-helmed outposts, it is a favorite of celebrities, food critics and even royalty. Earlier this month, Meghan, Duchess of Sussex, posted a photo of her birthday dinner at the restaurant. She noted, “The culinary mastery of @evanfunke and his team is in the top five meals in my life.”
A spokesperson for Funke told the Courier that they hope to have the doors open again as soon as possible.
