JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – A fire tore through Dinsmore Meats late Sunday night, destroying everything inside the beloved New Kings Road butcher shop, leaving its owners and neighbors heartbroken.
Co-owner Denny Rodriguez said he found out about the fire the way only a tight-knit community can deliver bad news — neighbors frantically calling him.
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“I even had people go to my house. I live five minutes away from here,” Rodriguez said.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department (JFRD) crews responded to the structure fire just before 11:30 p.m. Sunday. Nobody was hurt, but JFRD says the State Fire Marshal is investigating the cause.
Rodriguez and his uncle, Gabriel Peralta, took over Dinsmore Meats nearly three years ago after relocating from New York. For them, the shop was more than a business.
“When you do good, you give people at least love and respect, that’s what you get back at the end of the day,” Rodriguez said.
For neighbors like Kevin Lumpkins, the loss is deeply personal.
“I’m 28. My mom is almost 50 years old. We’ve been coming here our whole lives. This store is a part of Jacksonville’s history, and it’s been here forever,” Lumpkins said.
He lives directly across the street and watched the fire break out from his bedroom window.
“I look out and all I see is fire that’s like high as the trees here,” Lumpkins said.
Lumpkins was one of several neighbors who stopped by to console the owners, mentioning how much the community is supporting them through this difficult time.
“Great people, just plain and simple,” he said.
Despite the devastation, Rodriguez said the outpouring of support from neighbors is what’s keeping him going.
“The only thing that has my head up right now are these people. They went over, they called me,” Rodriguez said. “I know if somebody could’ve tried to stop it, they would’ve stopped it.”
If you would like to donate to the store’s recovery efforts, you can contribute to the GoFundMe found here.