LIMITED PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES PROCEEDS SUPPORT KATOI EMPLOYEES DEVASTATED BY RESTAURANT FIRE

February 17, 2017

LIMITED PHOTOGRAPHY SERIES PROCEEDS SUPPORT KATOI EMPLOYEES DEVASTATED BY RESTAURANT FIRE

February 17, 2017- According to various news reports, new restaurant Katoi, recently announced as a semifinalist for the Best New Restaurant category of the James Beard Awards, was subject to a devastating fire that has forced them to close their doors immediately. The Detroit Free Press reports, “An early morning fire gutted the Thai-inspired eatery on Michigan Avenue and 17th, barely a week after it was named the No. 1 Best New Restaurant to open last year by the Free Press and just a few days after it was announced as a semifinalist for the Best New Restaurant category of the James Beard Awards.

According the the article,

“Katoi Executive Chef Brad Greenhill has been on a research trip to Thailand for the last two weeks and was eating dinner halfway around the world when he heard the devastating news. “It’s hard to find words when something heartbreaking like this happens,” Greenhill said in a statement via text message on behalf of the restaurant’s ownership. “There are none really, other than ‘resolve.’ Katoi grew up and came to fruition with support from an amazing community with that very same attribute. “With the love and support from our friends and neighbors, we’ll rise again from the ashes…with a vengeance.”

In an immediate response to the tragedy, dozens of local businesses have stepped up to help Katoi move forward, and support its many employees who planned to go to work as usual. After news broke of the devastating fire that happened on February 17th, 2017, Detroit photographer Karah Shaffer and PLAYGROUND DETROIT have partnered to offer a series of photographs taken at Katoi during an event in collaboration with Breakout.today featuring local musicians, GOSH PITH, Bevlove and more.

100% of the proceeds of the print sales in the spirit of Detroit’s motto as we raise our glasses to better times to come “Speramus Meliora; Resurget Cineribus — We Hope for Better Things: It Shall Rise from the Ashes” to support lost wages of the KATOI staff as they continue forward without work until re-opening. Individual prints cost $35 each or the set of three is available for $75.

Karah Shaffer has been photographing Detroit and it’s residents since 1999. She is Executive Director of Facing Change: Documenting DETROIT, a multifaceted documentary photo program that cultivates local emerging photography talent. She has worked in collaboration with The New York Times, the VICE Creator’s Project, NPR, KCRW, the Detroit Free Press, Red Bull House of Art, the Detroit Institute of Arts and more.

Please note orders will be available for local pickup at future scheduled benefit events in Detroit and also available to be shipped. Pick-up information will be released after purchase through February 28th.

These photographs were taken in the Summer of 2016 during a weekend in Detroit with Breakout.Today takeover at Katoi.