Beyond the town’s overnight food desertification, though, Shane said she worries about the loss of a central gathering place to the reservation.

“They all come at different times. I’ll see cousins I haven’t seen in weeks,” she said. “This is a really important business.”

Few other options remain. The community’s main event center, the “multi-purpose building,” lies well outside the main downtown and residential areas. The adjacent administrative buildings have been shuttered or partially shut down as the tribal government faces cascading financial problems, and even at its previous location, the Crow Merc historically served as the center of social life downtown.

“Right when we open, people all come in here (to) buy their breakfast,” said Harriet Driftwood, a 27-year employee who most recently worked as the customer service clerk. She smiled as she noted that the deli’s biscuits and gravy was the bestseller. “Everyone, they hang out here. Everyone likes it here.”

Driftwood is one of 18 employees now out of work, said Ed Watt. Another is the sister of Fontana Stewart, who she said has been “freaking out” since news of the fire broke Thursday night on social media.