{"id":420235,"date":"2026-10-06T14:02:23","date_gmt":"2026-10-06T14:02:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/420235\/"},"modified":"2026-10-06T14:02:23","modified_gmt":"2026-10-06T14:02:23","slug":"i-just-need-a-little-push-renes-mexican-kitchen-raising-funds-after-fire-damages-vm-ybor-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-fl\/420235\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018I just need a little push\u2019: Rene\u2019s Mexican Kitchen raising funds after fire damages VM Ybor restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"AnTampa Fire Department works on a fire at Rene\u2019s Mexican Kitchen in Tampa, Florida on Sept. 30, 2026. Credit: Tiffany Haas<\/p>\n

Rene Valenzuela is Tampa\u2019s own phoenix; the 55-year-old chef has risen from the ashes before, and is\u00a0 asking for help to do it again.<\/p>\n

The V.M. Ybor location of Rene\u2019s Mexican Kitchen was heavily damaged in a fire last Wednesday, Sept. 30. Valenzuela has created a GoFundMe page<\/a> to support reopening efforts.<\/p>\n

Valenzuela started Rene\u2019s Mexican Kitchen<\/a> as a food truck in 2018. The business has since grown to several trucks and the brick-and-mortar V.M. Ybor location in the shadow is El Reloj at J.C. Newman Cigar Factory, opened in 2023.<\/p>\n

A departure from the Taco Bus chain he also founded, Rene\u2019s focuses on traditional Mexican fare, and hosts occasional prix-fixe dinners highlighting the best of Mexican cuisine.<\/p>\n

\"\"Chef Rene Valenzuela\u00a0teaches classes or hosts ticketed dinners at different venues in Tampa, Florida. Credit: Photo via Renesmexicankitchenofficial\/Facebook<\/a><\/p>\n

Like many chefs, Valenzuela has danced with fire before.<\/p>\n

While he was preparing to open Rene\u2019s in 2018, Valenzuela was severely burned in a gas explosion, landing him in the hospital. After that incident, he told Creative Loafing Tampa Bay<\/a> that the restaurant felt like a \u201crebirth\u201d from the ashes of his incident and the departure from Taco Bus.<\/p>\n

The V.M. Ybor location went up in flames while Valenzuela and employees were in the building due to an issue with the circuit breaker. Nobody was injured in the fire, but the century-old building was built before modern fire codes. It went up quickly.<\/p>\n

After this fire, Valenzuela\u2019s hoping for some help from the community to pay employees and restock the inventory destroyed in the fire.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just need a little push,\u201d Valenzuela\u2019s GoFundMe reads. \u201cIf you love me a little, if you want to continue seeing us around in the community, if you want to keep eating our food, and you want to help me, and my family and my employees and their families please help out. Anything you can put in the hat.\u201d<\/p>\n

As of Tuesday morning, the GoFundMe for Rene\u2019s Mexican Kitchen was not yet to half of its $20,000 goal.<\/p>\n

Pitch in to help make the Tampa Bay Journalism Project a success.<\/a><\/p>\n

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This article appears in Oct. 01 \u2013 07, 2026<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\n\tRelated\n<\/p>\n

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