The pancakes are not yet flipping at the Charlestown Street Cafe, but owners Larry Mellum and Ron Hanlon, anxious to reopen since the popular spot's February 4 kitchen fire, are starting to see light at the end of the tunnel as insurance companies are indicating they are finally moving forward.

Mellum reported that he just spoke with his landlord, Tom Strickland, who co-owns the property with Frontier Bank. He said that Strickland, too, wants to get the cafe up and running, and but that he has been awaiting word from his insurance's assessment of the damage.

Mellum said his insurance covers the building's content affected by the fire, and the landlord's insurance covers the structural damage.

"It's all been held up by our landlord, but he just told me 'I am waiting like you are' for word from his insurance, and that he wants to reopen too. Part of the problem is that the city sees it as an older building that needs to be brought up to code, which falls to the landlord.

Mellum has been putting more time in his two Pike Place Chowder restaurants, but "the natives are getting wrestles," he said of his eager Charlestown Street Cafe staff. "Until now, I thought the landlord had no intention of (reopening.) We're in a 'hurry up and wait' mode and my staff is just sitting on its hands."

Once reopened, he said the cafe would still be on a month-to-month lease. "The owners want to continue to redevelop. We are hoping that the restaurant will be part of their bigger retail plan."

The sight has been controversial since about a year ago when PETCO wanted to purchase the property, build a new store, and move out of its current Alaska Junction location. Members of the local community protested vehemently via marches in front of the caf