After suffering extensive damage from a fire that broke out on July 4, Yu & Me Books in New York City's Chinatown has already raised more than $300,000 for its recovery fund.
Store owner Lucy Yu wrote on the Yu and Me Books GoFundMe page that the fire, which started in a residential unit above the bookstore, caused such significant smoke and water damage that the store will require a "complete gut renovation," expected to take about a year. The store will remain closed for the foreseeable future and all upcoming author events have been canceled; furthermore, nearly all of its inventory and equipment were lost.
With insurance money not coming in "for at least eight months," Yu turned to crowdfunding to help her cover staff wages, replace damaged inventory and equipment, pay insurance deductibles, fund pop-up and temporary spaces, and much more. The campaign, which went live late last week, was boosted by authors Celeste Ng and Min Jin Lee as well as the actor Simu Liu, and very quickly exceeded its initial goal of $150,000.
Yu opened the bookstore and cafe, which has a focus on diverse voices, immigrant stories, and the Asian diaspora, at 44 Mulberry St. in December 2021.