Half Fast eyes end-of-summer reopening

• The casual eatery's reopening is key to preserving the neighborhood's history, even as the area has shifted in recent years from serving students to catering to visitors in order to survive the lean summer months.

The latest: Owner Fred Liskowski told Axios Boulder he is "fairly confident" fans can get their sandwiches and pitchers of Strong Island (the shop's take on a Long Island Iced Tea) by the end of summer.

Catch up quick: An electrical fire started in the attic of the building at 1215 13th St. on Jan. 5, and the sandwich shop suffered water damage when crews put out the blaze.

Behind the scenes: Liskowski said that when he saw Half Fast after the fire, "I thought maybe a month, two months at most. Then I saw the apartments above us, and they were just completely destroyed."

• The building is over 100 years old, and most of the wiring had to be replaced, Liskowski said.

• He added that because of a lengthy permitting process, "it took us a bit of time to actually get started on the rebuilding."

What's next: Liskowski said electrical and structural work is now "going full speed," but because of the monthslong closure, he will have to hire new staff members during student move-in and football season.

• "It's kind of scary opening up at our busiest time of year with new staff," Liskowski said.

What we're watching: The shop may try reducing its operating hours or using soft openings to get the staff up to speed.