Jackie O’s Public House Restaurant opened in 2005, providing locals with 30 kinds of Jackie O’s drafts and meals made with locally sourced ingredients. On Nov. 4, 2025, at about 6:30 p.m., a kitchen fire broke out in Jackie O’s, according to a previous report from The Post.
Chelsea Langlois, general manager of Jackie O’s Public House Restaurant, said the restaurant staff is planning to reopen the building in June.
On the night of the fire, the building was evacuated quickly; however, damage led to a six-month closure of the restaurant. Andrew Oestrike, owner of Jackie O’s Public House Restaurant, said the fire spread into the kitchen hood system, which took a while to extinguish.
“As a result, we had quite a bit of damage in our kitchen, as well as pretty extensive water damage due to the sprinklers and all the other things that happen when thousands and thousands of gallons of water are sprayed into your kitchen,” Oestrike said.
During the period of repairs, Langlois said the restaurant also upgraded the establishment, including improvements to equipment in the back and the dining area.
“Jackie O's will still feel like home, the Jackie O's you've always known, but it may need a little fresh paint, little upgrades here and there,” Langlois said.
Langlois started working in Athens restaurants in 2016, and said she enjoys catching up with the “friendly faces” she met over the years. For the restaurant’s reopening, Langlois said she is looking forward to seeing the new food menu.
Scott Bradley, head of culinary operations at Jackie O’s, is brainstorming “exciting new ideas” for their menu. Langlois said Bradley is leading the restaurant in a new direction and believes he utilizes local farms to source high-quality ingredients.
The Jackie O’s fire also affected The Union, as the two buildings share a wall. Langlois said The Union only had to close for about a day or so to clean up after the smoke damage.
Langlois described The Union as “an ally” for Jackie O’s, as they organized a fundraiser show to benefit the 55 employees who found themselves out of work after the fire. She added that several Jackie O’s employees attended The Union show, and many local acts volunteered to perform.
“Overall, that event alone raised over $1,000 that went straight to the employees,” Langlois said.
Jackie O’s also had its own fundraiser, which raised over $9,000 with 129 donations. Langlois said they distributed the funds among the employees who applied for the support.
“A lot of our employees, at this point, have figured it out and found other service jobs or temporary jobs for contracts,” Langlois said. “And we look forward to a good percentage of our staff returning, which is so encouraging to see that we won't have a lot of turnover, and we'll just get everyone back.”
The 2025 fire is Jackie O’s second since its opening. The restaurant was forced to close for several months in 2014 after a fire, leaving about 31 employees out of a job, according to a previous report by The Post.
Oestrike said letting employees who rely on Jackie O’s go is the “worst feeling in the world.”
Recalling the recent fire, Oestrike said he was about to walk into an Ohio University football game when he received a phone call, during which he could hear sirens in the background. He said he had driven past Jackie O’s only half an hour before, and everyone seemed “happy.”
“I rolled back around 30 minutes later, and there's fire trucks everywhere blasting water from the roof down into a very smoky building,” Oestrike said. “And, it's a very disheartening, saddening, awful moment to go through, and I wouldn't wish it on my worst of enemies because it is terrible, and you have to make decisions that are awful, but necessary.”
To prevent future fires, Oestrike said Jackie O’s is installing “a hood that is not 50 years old.” Langlois said they are moving the hood in the kitchen to ensure it vents correctly.
Greta Hanesworth, one of the founders of Blue Eagle Music, moved to Athens over 50 years ago, and said she enjoys visiting Jackie O’s Public House to play card games with friends.
“(Jackie O’s) is reasonably priced and it’s a nice restaurant,” Hanesworth said. “You can get what you want, and even with a huge crowd, you still were able to get in, and you get something to drink and something to eat.”
With the restaurant’s reopening, Hanesworth said she is looking forward to seeing the return of live music at Jackie O’s Public House Restaurant.
For more information regarding Jackie O’s opening date and menu, Oestrike said he plans to update its Instagram and Facebook.
