Seattle restaurant jumps in to help after deadly Aurora Bridge crash

Canlis is arguably Seattle’s swankiest restaurant. Run by the Canlis family for three generations, couples routinely get engaged and celebrate anniversaries while taking in the sparkling view of Lake Union. But after the deadly crash on the Aurora Bridge on Thursday, about 200 feet away from the restaurant, Canlis canceled dinner service for the first time in 65 years.

Instead, they decided to help.

“Right now, we’re just helping the community around us and we’re just trying to pay attention to the various first responders and investigative folks who are out there right now,” said Mark Canlis, who owns the restaurant with his brother, Brian. “It just happens to be a really convenient spot to launch some of their operations out of and so we’re happy to help them in any way we can.”

Related: Blood bank ‘overwhelmed’ by donors after fatal Aurora Bridge crash

Canlis said they’ve changed up their menu to serve people quickly and easily.

“All the guys are back there in the kitchen,” Canlis said. “They’re just putting things together that are appropriate for the moment. So, no, it’s not exactly the regular food that we typically serve. It’s a little different right now. I saw them making some sandwiches and other things for lunch.”

He said they’ll stick around as long as it takes.

“This is our neighborhood, right?,” he asked. “So we’re not going anywhere. It’s hard to know what will be needed, but we’ll be here as long as the restaurant can be useful to the community at large.”

Mark once served as a Captain in Air Force Special Operations. His brother, Brian, was an Air Force officer. The brothers say they are so proud that their team jumped into action.

“You know, I think any time something like this happens in the community it’s easy to get wrapped up into it,” Mark said. “For our staff, that’s certainly what happened &#8212 I think in really beautiful and heroic ways. So they have been intimately involved today.

“Something happens either near and dear to your heart or geographically close to you, it’s just a gut response, right? And so, for them and their actions today, I’m super proud of them. And then obviously just to watch our crew, our Seattle crew at work, first responders do their thing, it’s always inspiring.”