It was devastating to see fire destroy Aretha Frankenstein’s on Sunday. Not just because a popular business was destroyed, but because of the hard work and pride that was put into it. Jeff Brakebill spent nearly 10 years collecting artwork, fixtures and equipment for his “dream restaurant.”
Then, after acquiring the tiny, run-down house at 518 Tremont St., he spent another three years carefully reconstructing it into an incredible space that many thought he built from the ground up.
Every nail in Aretha’s was driven by Jeff. He moved walls, hung all of the sheetrock, installed the hardwood floors he salvaged from an old school gym, hand-built the bar, custom-tiled the floors, and scraped and painted every square inch of the place. All so he could share with his friends the unique recipes that he also created from scratch.
In fact, he spent so long creating Aretha’s that - in addition to constant ribbing - many of us started a tradition of hanging out in the construction zone on Friday afternoons to share a beer with Jeff. Those Fridays went on, weekly, for about two years. And, each Friday, Jeff would say that those times were what Aretha’s was going to be all about - hanging out in a cool place with your best friends.
Fire officials, neighbors and a surveillance tape support the suspicion that foul play was the cause of the fire. That is completely sad. It’s sad that someone would be so disrespectful to someone else’s property and hard work that a cowardly ego trip could override common decency. Well, at least human nature also includes bragging rights and guilt. Because that’s what will get them caught.
Next time you’re having pancakes, think of Jeff.
Chuck Crowder
chuckcrowder@comcast.net