After three weeks of debris clean-up, the building that once was home to Mutts still retains the mid-century vibe that made it popular with Route 66 travelers, but the heart of the operation has, for now, quit beating.

Originally opened in 2011 by Big Truck Tacos founders Kathryn Mathis, Cally Johnson and Chris Lower, the restaurant at 1400 NW 23 had gone through an ownership change that unsuccessfully sought to turn it into a chain and then was taken over last August by Navy veteran Omar Molina.

In just a few months, Molina had transformed the restaurant into one that specialized in giving a fresh start to wounded people — veterans, young people aging out of foster care, women who escaped the horrors of sex trafficking.

The momentum was on Molina’s side at the start of Memorial Day weekend. Both food trucks were booked for events. A trafficking survivor was well on her way to being promoted to manager of the restaurant. Molina shared social media posts on how employees’ lives were being transformed.