A fire damaged Tiny Turtle, a Caribbean fusion restaurant in Cocoa Beach, Florida, on Friday, May 29. With the blaze under control and no reported injuries, owners Kelly Lieneke and Moises Correa are turning to community fundraising as repairs get underway.
When the fire broke out at Tiny Turtle on Friday, May 29, it didn’t just scar a popular Cocoa Beach dining room. It forced a tight-knit community to confront a sudden loss—then reach for each other.
Crews contained the major blaze at the Caribbean fusion restaurant, about 60 miles southeast of Orlando. The fire left the business with “significant damage. ” according to a GoFundMe created to support the owners and help them rebuild. As of the morning of June 1, the fundraiser had raised $5,162 toward its $7,000 goal.
The campaign is focused on the people running the place. The GoFundMe describes owners Kelly Lieneke and Moises Correa as “two of the most giving and genuine people. and are constantly giving back to the community.” It also frames the fundraising as a way for neighbors to help during a long recovery: “Now is our opportunity to help them in their time of need as they navigate through the coming months.”.
The restoration effort is already gathering momentum beyond the GoFundMe. By the morning of June 1, community members were also supporting the restaurant through other fundraisers, according to reporting by local outlet WESH 2 News.
In a post on Instagram, the restaurant said, “We are overwhelmed and absolutely amazed at the outpouring [of] love and support we have been receiving.” It added that the road ahead will be difficult—“We have a long road ahead to navigate through, but it could have been a lot worse!”
The fire also spread to nearby businesses. WESH 2 News reported that two other businesses were damaged, though the extent of those impacts is unknown at this time.
Officials did not immediately identify what caused the blaze. Florida Today reported that the cause was not known right away. No injuries or deaths were reported in connection with the fire.
The sequence of events—fire on May 29, major damage confirmed, and a fundraising push already underway by June 1—has turned a restaurant setback into a community action test. People are responding fast, but the scale of rebuilding is still ahead.
For now, Tiny Turtle’s owners are left navigating the aftermath while the broader Cocoa Beach community keeps showing up with help, donations, and messages of support as repairs begin.
Tiny Turtle Cocoa Beach Florida fire Caribbean fusion restaurant GoFundMe Kelly Lieneke Moises Correa WESH 2 News community fundraising
Glad nobody got hurt. Cocoa Beach needs more places like that.
So it says “significant damage” but like… was it arson or just bad wiring? I hate how they won’t say the cause yet.
This is why I don’t trust Caribbean places near the beach lol. I’m sure the food is great but fires happen. Hope they figure out what started it before it happens again.
I saw the GoFundMe number and $7k isn’t that much for repairs… hopefully the other fundraisers add up. Also weird that it spread to other businesses but they’re like “extent unknown” — that always sounds sketchy. Prayers for the owners though, Cocoa Beach people are usually solid.