A longtime Milwaukee staple, Lopez Bakery, is temporarily closed. Now, the community is showing support for the business with a fundraiser. From humble beginnings half a century ago, Lopez Bakery has a rich history in Milwaukee. Owner Jorge Lopez's father immigrated to this country with a dream."This is a family business started by my dad in the late 60s, and it's been in business continually ever since," Lopez said.In the restaurant's milestone 50th year, Lopez and his wife Cindy had to make the difficult decision to close for the time being."In the last three weeks, we've had a series of events including flooding in our basement, our oven breaking down, death of a loved one, and I've had surgery," Lopez explained."It's a lot. It really is. It's just a lot to take in," Cindy Lopez added while fighting tears.The Lopez family hopes this closure is only temporary, and they say they're most worried about their employees."It's one thing for us to be off of work, but for our employees to not be receiving a check, that makes everything more difficult," Jorge Lopez said.Their biggest obstacle right now is the oven. They've had this oven since 1998. A new one could cost more than $30,000."This past week, something happened with one of the motors," Lopez said.To help raise money, Emerald City Catering & Events is graciously hosting a fundraising brunch. The Lopez family could not be more grateful for the community's support."I just can't believe how much Lopez bakery has meant to so many people and how many lives its touched," Cindy Lopez told WISN 12.The fundraiser brunch will be held on Feb. 19 at Emerald City Catering & Events, 3555 S 13th St., from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. The brunch is pay as you may, so any and all donations will be accepted. No tickets are required.TOP STORIES2 pile-ups in SE Wisconsin: Snow and winter conditions impacting highways Milwaukee Water Works warns of frozen pipes and meters ahead of cold snap