The scene of the blaze at Jorge's Kitchen and Bar in Central Valley. 

By Ben Crnic From Daily Voice

An Orange County restaurant damaged in a fire is moving forward with a rapid restructuring and reopening plan, the business announced. 

Jorge’s Kitchen and Bar, located at 34 Smith Clove Rd. in Central Valley, revealed that its new location at 228 Route 32 will reopen soon, but with a major change. Instead of operating as a bar and grill, the new site will launch as Jorge’s Kitchen – Hot Food & Deli, the restaurant said in a Sunday, Nov. 23 update.  

At the same time, Bourbon Street Bar and Grill in Monroe, the restaurant’s sister location, will undergo its own transformation. The venue at 74 Millpond Pkwy will soon relaunch as Jorge’s Kitchen Café & Bar, allowing the business to keep serving its full menu, drinks, and weekend nightlife while rebuilding efforts continue. 

The update comes just days after a Thursday night, Nov. 20 blaze on the third floor of the building that houses Jorge’s Kitchen forced the restaurant to close indefinitely, as Daily Voice previously reported. 

The fire, contained by 7:30 p.m., brought a response from multiple agencies, including the Woodbury Fire Department, Mountain Lodge Park Fire, Monroe-Lakeside Fire and Rescue, and the Highland Mills Fire Company Ladies Auxiliary. No injuries were reported, though other residents in the building were displaced.  

In Sunday’s announcement, the restaurant thanked customers for the outpouring of support as they navigate the transition. 

"We truly appreciate every message, call, and show of support," the Jorge’s Kitchen team wrote, adding, "Thank you for standing with us through this transition, we can’t wait to hit the ground running and welcome everyone back." 

The restaurant previously assured customers that all catering orders will continue to be fulfilled, with pickup available at Bourbon Street — soon to become Jorge’s Kitchen Café & Bar — or via delivery.

To help with its rebuilding effort, the restaurant's team has started a GoFundMe page to collect donations. According to the organizers, donations will go towards covering "transition expenses  and supporting our family and staff during the relocation."

"Your contributions will help us make the move smoother and allow us to reopen as quickly as possible in our new space," the team wrote, adding, "There is absolutely no pressure or expectation—your encouragement alone means a lot to us." 

As of Tuesday, Nov. 25 at 2:30 p.m., the fundraiser had collected $450 out of an $11,000 goal. Those interested in donating can click here to do so.