One year ago today, I stood on Burnside Street watching firefighters put out the fire that destroyed our flagship shop. The scoop shop that transformed Fifty Licks from a struggling business into something of an institution was gone along with the five apartments upstairs and two other businesses on the ground floor.

There’s a unique grief that comes with watching something you’ve built burn. The shop represented years of risk-taking, 18-hour days, and the unlikely success that finally came when we found this perfect corner. I used to drive by Burnside saying, “If that location ever becomes available, I’m taking it.” When i saw the for lease sign, my wife made me pull over and call immediately—a moment that changed everything.

This past year has been a lesson in resilience. We’ve operated from a pop up food truck parked at
@burnsidecollision (thank you!) in the immediate days after the fire, hustled to build a new ice cream truck (constructed in record speed by
@gottbuilt ), and poured everything into keeping our other locations thriving and our staff employed while wondering if we’d ever return to Burnside.

When the community showed up—from
@rosecityguitarcompany who gave us a place to rest immediately after the fire, to
@built4retail , the regular customer who offered us space in front of the theater at Bridgeport Village, to every person who made the trek to find our ice cream elsewhere—I realized we’d built something that transcends brick and mortar.

Just weeks after the fire, the Willamette Week readers voted us Best Ice Cream in the city. In our darkest moment, you all reminded us why we do this.

Through all of this, my mind keeps returning to Mackenzie, the young woman who first noticed the fire before anyone in the building was awake. She ran through the upstairs hallway, knocking on doors, making sure every resident got out safely before the smoke was too thick to see. (Another resident ran back inside to rescue her cats.) I hope she knows that she is a hero.
Happy fire-versary everyone! We can’t thank you enough for your support!
 and local children and families experiencing foster care.Stop by for a treat and support the community while you’re at it](https://sp1.picnob.com/p/pt_6727421619472153497019_0_791820cc57b2937db343ddff71bac44d.jpg?o=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&h=ed0238b300650f09e4dc016bc72900f6)
