A devastating fire, looting, and a death in the family.
Describing the last month as ‘rough’ for the family owners of Nettie’s Fine Mexican Food in Bellevue is putting it lightly. On the afternoon of December 23rd, the well-known Bellevue/South Omaha restaurant caught fire. Everyone evacuated safely, but the building was a total loss.
Shortly after the fire, unknown individuals rummaged through the remains, looking for anything they could find that wasn’t completely ruined. Contrary to what posted photos might lead many to believe, a few things managed to survive the fire including some money and a few personal belongings that the looters ran off with.
Still dealing with the loss of the family business and ‘second home’, several family members traveled out of state to visit a dying cousin one last time.
It was an unimaginable series of events to finish Nettie’s 35th year of business.
Still, there is cause for optimism. A GoFundMe was set up to help the out-of-work employees. Nearly 400 individuals and businesses donated close to $33,000. The donations were given to co-owner Michael Boyles this week to disburse among the restaurant team of around 15 employees.
Local businesses like DJ’s Dugout and RTG on Center donated thousands of dollars, while other businesses, like Stella’s Bar & Grill, held a special day where a percentage of sales were donated to Nettie’s.
“When I first saw those donations from other area businesses, I couldn’t believe it,” said Michelle Lyons, daughter of Boyles and granddaughter of restaurant founder Nettie Escamilla-Vela. “I made sure to reach out to them. I don’t ever believe that small businesses should be in competition with each other. We should always lend a hand. Whether it be time or money. When you support local you are investing in someone’s dream.”
Just as touching to Lyons were the donations made in smaller amounts. “Those large donations blew me away, but so did the $5, $10, $20, etc. You never know; it could have been someone’s last $5 and they chose to give it to us. My little cousins made a card for my mom and dad and told them how sad they were, giving them the money out of their piggy bank. That brought tears to my eyes. I just hope everyone knows how appreciated they are and that there are not enough ways we can say thank you.”
Up next is a spaghetti fundraising event on Sunday, January 22nd at Stocks and Bonds in Ralston near 84th and Q Streets. The event begins at Noon and runs until 10pm and features live music throughout the day, a silent auction, face painting, raffles, a bake sale, 50/50, and food.
To prepare for the fundraiser, Nettie’s began taking pre-orders on enchiladas a few weeks ago. One dozen beef or chicken enchiladas for $40. As many people began to realize that this may be the last opportunity they have to eat Nettie’s, at least for a while, orders began to pour in. They came in so fast that Nettie’s had to stop taking them. Over 6,000 enchiladas were ordered (more than 500 dozen). “We have had so many requests we had to cut the deadline so early. We wish we were able to fill all the orders, but unfortunately, we are on a time crunch. So many of our relatives, staff, and friends have rotated in shifts to help. We have been surrounded by love, that’s for sure,” said Lyons.
Will Nettie’s re-open? That question has been asked a lot since December 23rd. Many suggestions of new locations have been given to the family. As of now, the owners are still deciding what they want to do and weighing their options.
“In a perfect world we would start to rebuild tomorrow. Unfortunately, we do not. But carrying on the dream that my Nana Nettie, her husband Abe, and my parents had back in 1987 when they put everything on the line to build what has become a true legacy. All I can say is WE as a family are doing everything we can to try and rebuild better than ever. We have the opportunity to start a clean slate. We would love to stay right where we are at, on our little piece of land in Bellevue, and continue to watch families grow including our own. I cannot imagine a world where my future grandchildren do not know what Nettie’s was.”
-Michelle Lyons, granddaughter of Nettie
Nettie’s Photo Gallery
All Photos Provided by Michelle Lyons
