Jim's Steaks will keep paying its employees after fire rips through South Street staple, president says

PHILADELPHIA - A devastating fire may have destroyed parts of a beloved Philadelphia cheesesteak shop, but it is still no match for the spirit of its community and staff.

Shocking scenes on South Street last week as Jim's Steaks went up in flames. Smoke poured from the building as fire crews worked for several hours to get the blaze under control.

Immediately following the fire, the iconic shop experienced an outpouring of support as the president vowed to rebuild.

"We will be back," said Jim's Steaks president Kenneth Silver. "We are definitely rebuilding, and doing it as quickly as possible." 

RELATED COVERAGE:

• 'We will be back': Jim's Steaks to rebuild after devastating fire temporarily closes beloved shop
• Jim's Steaks fire: Firefighters get multi-alarm fire under control after four hours

FOX 29's Steve Keeley got a look inside the scorched shop just days after the fire. Among the destruction, signed photos from famous visitors still remain intact as Silver said irreplaceable family photos were also untouched.

"Divine intervention, I guess," he said.

And while getting the shop back up and running is the ultimate goals, Silver's top priority is taking care of his more than 30 employees.

"We're gonna cover their payroll for the next couple of week," he said.

A GoFundMe page has also been set up to help support the Jim's Steaks staff until they can get back to making some of Philly's favorite cheesesteaks.

For tourists and locals alike, Silver says he hopes to create some pop-up shops on South Street with the help of fellow businesses.

"We're one, big cheesesteak community," he said.