Alex Franzen survived a house fire this month but it took his best friend, a beloved bicycle and everything he owns except for a pair of boxer shorts, according to his friends. The Uptown resident, Burger Jones server and bike mechanic at Re-Cycle bike shop on Hennepin Avenue S. was one of two survivors of the Sept. 14 fire that destroyed the Bryant Avenue S. duplex he called home. His roommate, friend and fellow Burger Jones server James "Jay" Beck IV died hours after he was pulled from the fire by Minneapolis firefighters. Franzen himself was hauled to safety by a firefighter, but managed to escape with minor injuries.
Now he has medical bills and a lengthy shopping list to replace his stuff. So here's the deal: his friends at Burger Jones plan to donate 10 percent of Saturday's sales to his cause. The fundraiser is at both the Uptown and Burnsville locations of Burger Jones.
Seth Stattmiller, owner of Re-Cycle and one of Franzen's bosses, said Franzen started back on his bike mechanic job on Thursday. "We're really glad to see him," said Stattmiller. "He's doing good."
Franzen spent three days in the hospital, according to Stattmiller. Now they're trying to get him back to his life, starting with his favorite two-wheeled brand of transportation.
"We're trying to get him on a bike," said Stattmiller.
