Amy Harris reminds area residents of what happened to the Abhiruchi Indian Cuisine restaurant

Amy Harris
Clark County Matters

Earlier this year, a devastating fire shut down Abhiruchi Indian Cuisine — a beloved, family-owned restaurant at one of Vancouver’s busiest intersections, Chkalov and Mill Plain. The fire didn’t start in the kitchen; it was sparked by a homeless individual who had been loitering near the restaurant daily. Despite multiple complaints and requests for help from neighboring businesses, the city failed to take any action.

Despite multiple requests for help, the city failed to intervene. Then, the worst happened: a fire spread from outside and severely damaged the building.

Abhiruchi opened in 2011 and was the longest-standing tenant in that location. The owners, Kameswara Rao and his brother-in-law Gurunath, now receive 28 to 30 phone calls a day from loyal customers wondering when they’ll reopen. The restaurant employed 10 people — all now out of work. And while the city delays and downplays its role, a hardworking immigrant family has lost its livelihood.

The media in Southwest Washington has barely covered this story. But what happened to Abhiruchi underscores something much bigger: when elected officials confuse tolerance of lawlessness with compassion, the result isn’t policy disagreement — it’s direct harm to real people and small businesses.

The impact of unchecked street camping, open drug use, and public safety breakdowns isn’t theoretical. It shows up in closed storefronts, ruined neighborhoods, and shattered lives.

Clark County residents aren’t heartless — but they are tired of being told that compassion and public safety are mutually exclusive. We can care for vulnerable people without abandoning those who are trying to build a future here.

Vancouver doesn’t need to become Portland to prove it has empathy. Let’s make sure what happened to Abhiruchi never happens to another local business again.

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