Merchants Brace for Curiosity Seekers : Community: Laguna businesses organize food, clothing and counseling for fire victims. Restaurants are offering free dinners to families who lost homes.

Merchants in this city’s fabled shopping district are expecting a weekend wave of tourists who, after getting a first-hand look at the devastation, will want to eat, drink and possibly buy souvenirs.

“I have the feeling it’s going to be a real zoo (today),” said Crystal Cove Shake Shack owner Mike Flamson, who reopened his landmark shop Friday morning. Flamson watched from his bluff-top vantage point as a steady stream of curiosity seekers breezed past his shop toward downtown Laguna Beach.

The downtown area was virtually untouched by the midweek conflagration that destroyed 310 nearby homes, but most shops remained closed until Friday because roads were blocked and employees couldn’t get to their jobs. For shop owners already struggling in a weak economy, the unexpected closure was an unwelcome financial burden.

But that could be remedied today.

“There will be all kinds of people coming,” Flamson said as he reassembled equipment that he hurriedly carted away on Wednesday when flames roared over a nearby hilltop toward his oceanfront shop. “We’ll be ready for them.”

Jerry Dickson, owner of the Cottage Restaurant, spent Friday morning washing away the blanket of ashes that covered his restaurant on North Coast Highway. Dickson estimated his revenue loss at $3,000 on Thursday after a 100-member tour group from Great Britain canceled a Thursday side trip to Laguna Beach.

“I think we’ll have an incredible business this weekend,” said Dickson, who was stocking additional produce and increasing staff to meet anticipated demand. “We’ve got the place all washed down, and we’re ready for business.”

Sujata Swaroop and Karen-Michele Russell, who own shops in the Loft arcade on Forest Avenue, agree that their hard-hit city will be be inundated with tourists if Santa Ana winds don’t kick up, breathing new life into the brush fire that has abated but is still a potential danger.

But the shop owners doubt that the looky-loos will generate many sales beyond restaurants and fast-food shops. “To be truthful, I’m not expecting much,” said Swaroop, whose shop, Sujata’s, sells handmade women’s clothing.

The devastating brush fire dealt a double blow to merchants with shops along Forest Alley. In addition to closing their doors on Thursday, shop owners were forced to cancel a heavily advertised weekend sale. “I’m going to take a hit,” Swaroop said. “I’ve purchased merchandise and marked things down.”

Russell, who owns the Celebrations of Life gift shop, said the sale would have benefited a beautification project to turn the alley into a pleasant pedestrian walkway. “The (Laguna Beach) Chamber of Commerce was co-sponsoring it, and there was going to be food and entertainment,” Russell said. “It’s really a shame.”

Shop owners also are reviewing insurance policies and contacting insurance agents to determine if they’re covered for smoke damage. “My cotton (garments) seem to be losing the smell, “ Swaroop said. “But the rayon fabrics still smell a lot like smoke.”

Sales at the Coffee Pub on Forest Avenue were brisk, in large part because “the regulars” were gathering to swap stories with friends and neighbors, shop owner Paul McHugh said. “Everyone needs to talk, to find out about each other,” he said. “People are pulling together, sharing. That’s the kind of place Laguna Beach is.”

The outpouring of concern was evident throughout the business district.

Brandy’s Friends, an outpatient drug and alcohol treatment clinic on Broadway, was offering free counseling for displaced residents. It also was offering food and clothing in conjunction with the Laguna Beach Presbyterian Church. Dorothy’s Thrift Shop also was offering free clothing at its Broadway storefront.

And 10 of the city’s best-known restaurants are offering free dinners to families who lost homes in the fire.

“These are our friends,” said Five Feet Restaurant owner Michael Kang, who organized the relief effort. “Every person who was interviewed on television was someone I knew. At this time of their stressful life, it would be nice to simply get a decent meal.”

Five Feet, Sorrento Grill, Cafe Zulu, Kachina’s, Surf & Sand, Viva Italia, the Terrace Restaurant at Hotel Laguna, Cedar Creek Inn, Partners Bistro and the Cottage Restaurant are participating in the dinner program. The Laguna Beach Police Department is distributing vouchers to residents who lost homes, Kang said.

At some other shops, passage of time will ensure a rebound of business.

“Hair keeps on growing, fire or no fire,” said Rudy Campos, who owns a barbershop at the corner of Ocean Avenue and Beach Street. “People have other priorities right now. . . . After they deal with their other worries, they’ll be back.”