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Owners of popular Malibu eatery "Moonshadows" raising money to support employees now out of work

Family behind Moonshadows restaurant in Malibu work to raise money for employees now out of a job
Family behind Moonshadows restaurant in Malibu work to raise money for employees now out of a job 02:35

The owners of the Malibu restaurant "Moonshadows," which was completely destroyed by the intense flames of the Palisades Fire last week, are now trying to raise money to support the employees that once made them so popular. 

View of Ocean from Moonshadows Restaurant at dusk, Malibu, California, USA
Moonshadows Restaurant some time before it was destroyed by the Palisades Fire in January 2025. (Photo by: Ken Ross/VW PICS/Universal Images Group)

The beloved eatery, which has been a staple along the coast for more than 40 years, is one of many landmarks along the Pacific Coast Highway that were razed after the blaze erupted last Tuesday. Though their loss is monumental, the Slajchert family is working to find a purpose throughout the pain. 

"The restaurant meant an incredible deal to this community," said JD Slajchert. "I feel like I've only begun to even realize that myself."

When the fire first sparked, their concern about the flames reaching the business were far from top of mind, with their home in Santa Monica taking precedent. 

"Thinking that the restaurant would probably be alright, given its located so close to the water," Slajchert said. 

In the days since the news broke, he says they've reached an outpouring of messages and support from the community. 

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The charred remains of what was once Moonshadows Restaurant in Malibu. KCAL News

"We've heard and gotten messages from people that have had first dates there, went on their honeymoon there, were married there and my heart just breaks for the people that will forever miss this place," he said. 

The Palisades Fire is far from the Slajchert family's first run in with devastating wildfires, after his childhood home was destroyed in the Woolsey Fire in 2018. 

"We know first hand how devastating these wildfires can be," he said. "My first thought was about all the staff that are like brothers and sisters to me and my family."

He immediately took to social media, working to try and raise money for the people who helped make their business run so well, many of whom have been there since it opened back in the 1960s. Information on the fundraising efforts can be found on the restaurant's Instagram page

Slajchert also hopes to purvey a message of resilience to those impacted by the fires. 

"I hope that anybody out there watching, maybe that's just lost a home or lost a business, can look at us and say, 'Hey, you'll be okay, you will bounce back from this,'" he said. "Brighter days are ahead."

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