A popular French restaurant on Prospect St. and Potomac St. in the Georgetown neighborhood was almost completely destroyed in an electrical fire Oct. 18.
Washington, D.C. fire and emergency services responded to a blaze at La Bonne Vache at 9:34 p.m. Authorities were able to contain it without any injuries, but the fire severely damaged the restaurant’s interior and displaced two residents living in upstairs apartments.
In an Oct. 20 statement, the La Bonne Vache team said the restaurant’s dining room sustained extensive damage from the electrical fire, and confirmed the popular French cafe plans to reopen in the future.
“La Bonne Vache experienced a devastating electrical fire that severely damaged our front dining room,” the team wrote to The Hoya. “First and foremost, we want to express our deepest gratitude to our team, whose swift actions and composure helped prioritize the safety of our staff, guests, and neighbors. We are also incredibly grateful to the D.C. Fire and Emergency Medical Services Department for their rapid response and efforts to bring the fire under control. In the wake of this heartbreaking event, we have been overwhelmed by the outpouring of love, concern, and support from our community.”
“La Bonne Vache is built on the strength of its people and the support of its community,” the team added. “We will move forward, rebuild, and work toward welcoming everyone back as soon as we are able.”
Lucy Kiefer (CAS ’27), who lives near La Bonne Vache, said she noticed the chaos on her block around 9:30 p.m.
“I just heard a lot of lights and sirens and radios, but that’s pretty common, so I didn’t think anything of it,” Kiefer told The Hoya. “Then it continued for a while, so I looked out the window and I saw a lot of fire trucks.”
Salma Benchekroun (SFS ’27), who lives near the restaurant and arrived at the scene as firefighters were responding, said she saw smoke coming from the dining room.
“I didn’t see any flames or anything — it was just some smoke coming from the restaurant,” Benchekroun told The Hoya. “They were breaking the windows to get in and put it out.”
Kiefer said the damage to the restaurant is worse than she initially believed.
“I saw them bringing out the hose, and they were starting to screw it into the fire hydrant on my street,” Kiefer said. “At that point, I got my roommates, and we went downstairs and outside, and we just saw a lot of fire trucks. There was some smoke — we couldn’t see any active flames.”
La Bonne Vache originally opened in January 2024 and served French-inspired bistro food, including a variety of burgers, baguette sandwiches and cocktails.
Chirag Tailor (CAS ’28), who regularly dined at La Bonne Vache, said that he appreciated the restaurant’s no-reservation policy, which often leads to a line of anticipatory diners that stretches down Prospect Street.
“It brings this element of spontaneity,” he said. “Last time my roommate and I went, we were waiting in line, and we met this couple who happened to know my roommate because their daughter had gone to his high school.”
“We just made this random but cool connection,” Tailor added.
As first responders tried to control the fire, Kiefer said a crowd gathered on Prospect Street, including the restaurant’s general manager, Guillermo Roa.
“We saw some of the workers standing outside,” Kiefer said. “They were all huddled together crying, and so we checked on them to make sure they weren’t hurt. They were okay, and then we saw Guillermo. He showed up at around 10 p.m. and was just comforting his staff and trying to get more of a sense of what was going on.”
Community members started an online fundraiser to cover staff members’ lost wages while the restaurant rebuilds. As of Oct. 20, it has raised nearly all of its $100,000 goal.
Benchekroun said the fire was heartbreaking for both La Bonne Vache employees and the wider neighborhood community.
“It was quite sad to watch that, because obviously the place means a lot to them and a lot to the Georgetown community,” Benchekroun said.
Tailor said he was devastated by the damage to La Bonne Vache.
“My roommate and I like to go spontaneously on the weekends,” Tailor said. “It’s always been fun, and it’s a great restaurant. I love how it’s a small, intimate vibe.”
“I was completely shocked, and I hope it gets repaired soon,” Tailor added.
Michael Scime contributed to reporting.
