Chop shop fire halts food production at Just Food – The Lawrence Times

Just Food has announced that its food production in the city centre has been temporarily suspended due to a fire at its chop shop.

Douglas County Food Bank employees prepare ready-to-eat meals at Just Food’s Chop Shop, 805 Vermont St., the former Terrebonne location. The chop shop now shares space with JB’s Cali Fusion.

Just Food posted a statement from CEO Aundrea Walker on its Facebook page on Tuesday.

“Due to an unfortunate fire at Chop Shop, we must temporarily pause our downtown production,” Walker said in the statement. “Our team and volunteers are safe, but this incident will impact our ability to serve the community in the coming days. We appreciate your support and will keep you updated on our progress as we work to resume operations as quickly as possible. Thank you to the first responders who arrived quickly and kept everyone safe. Stay tuned for more information.”

Jordan Beber, owner of JB’s Cali Fusion, did not respond to an email seeking comment by press time Wednesday, but on Tuesday he commented on Just Food’s Facebook post, writing that everyone was safe and there was no building damage.

The fire was reported to dispatch at 12:12 p.m. Tuesday, and dispatch reported via emergency radio that it was a fire behind a commercial furnace. The Lawrence-Douglas County Fire Department had not responded to an email requesting more information about the fire by press time Wednesday.

The fire broke out a week after Just Food announced on social media that all of the food bank’s shelves, fridges, freezers and even warehouse were “dangerously empty.” The organization asked community members to donate if they were able to.

Regular hours for the Just Food pantry are Tuesdays and Thursdays from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. and Wednesdays and Fridays from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. at 1000 E. 11th St., near 11th Street and Haskell Avenue, in Lawrence. For more information, visit justfoodks.org.

Maya Hodison (she/her), stocks reporter, can be reached at [email protected]. Read more about her work for the Times here. Check out her employee bio here.

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