Shari Segalle raced to the Previous River Metropolis Cafe within the early morning hours of Oct. 30 to see large flames rising from her beloved restaurant.
Half of the constructing was nonetheless standing when she lastly went house.
However later that morning, the hearth reignited and destroyed every little thing.
Now, the restaurant that prides itself on consolation meals and a household environment is beginning on an extended highway to rebuilding.
“When it comes right down to it, it’s only a constructing,” Segalle stated. “However the exhausting half is what’s subsequent for our staff.”
Monte Good will carry out at a fundraiser for the Previous River Metropolis Cafe on Nov. 15, from 6 to 9 p.m. at Krause’s Cafe.
A $5 cowl is the instructed donation. All proceeds will go towards rebuilding the cafe and supporting the restaurant’s staff.
A household really feel
Segalle opened the restaurant in 1995 with enterprise companion Alane Emerson, who died in 2020.
Catering began in 1996 with a marriage dinner.
“That couple nonetheless comes into the restaurant, and we’ve watched their children develop up,” Segalle stated.
The shut relationships between employees and clients are a giant a part of why individuals love the cafe, stated Lauren Latiolais, who has labored for each the restaurant and the catering enterprise.
“There’s lots of people who are available in each different day,” she stated. “They’d their tables and their orders and you actually received to know them. It was sort of like a giant, dysfunctional household.”
The restaurant has featured reside music for a number of years.
Native musician Monte Good carried out each week on the cafe.
Because the group picked by means of the burned rubble on that terrible Sunday, Monte stopped by and posed the fundraiser concept.
“He’s a sweetheart,” Segalle stated. “He has his personal following on the restaurant, and we are able to’t wait to have him again.”
A devastating hearth
New Braunfels firefighters arrived on the blaze simply after 1:00 a.m. on Oct. 30.
Investigators discovered that the hearth began within the kitchen.
Trisha White, River Metropolis’s catering supervisor, was “heartbroken and devastated” when she noticed the burning constructing.
“It was all I may do to maintain the employees calm and reassure them that we’re going to determine this out,” she stated.
Many staff and regulars who hadn’t but heard the information confirmed up for his or her shifts or a Sunday meal, solely to search out smoke and charred partitions.
“My son grew up in that constructing and has labored there since he was 13 years previous,” White stated. “He and plenty of different younger staff are actually mourning a loss.”
The restaurant group stated they’re grateful nobody was injured.
River Metropolis Kitty, a cat who referred to as the cafe house, made it out safely and resides with White whereas they rebuild.
Giving again
Neighborhood members jumped in to assist the restaurant group even earlier than the hearth was fully out.
White instantly referred to as Gypsie Judice, a fellow caterer who runs the Cajun on da Geaux meals truck.
“I used to be crying, as a result of I used to be catering a marriage for 250 individuals in 4 days, and we had one other wedding ceremony that weekend,” White stated. “By Tuesday, we have been in her kitchen.”
Many individuals notice that the River Metropolis group was all the time the primary to carry meals to individuals who wanted them or attain out to a buyer they hadn’t seen shortly.
Now, the crew is on the receiving finish of these acts of service.
Folks typically cease them within the grocery retailer to ask how they will help.
A donation drive was began nearly instantly to assist the 26 staff.
Pat’s Place employed as many River Metropolis employees as they might, and Mighty Oak BBQ hosted a lunch for the whole group.
Segalle has religion in her group and a much bigger plan.
The restaurant proprietor appears to be like ahead to rebuilding, and says she is commonly reminded that “you may’t take the reminiscences away.”
“God makes magnificence out of ashes,” she stated, “And we sort of have plenty of ashes proper now.”