Fire temporarily closes popular Crete restaurant

CRETE, Neb. (KLKN) — A beloved Crete restaurant is getting back on its feet after an overnight fire Wednesday.

The damage is forcing Old Main Bar and Grill to shut down for now.

“The plans definitely are to open again,” manager Jess Thatcher said. “Whether it’s now, after the investigations conclude, or whether it’s next year, I’m not sure.”

Thatcher said she was looking at security camera video of the restaurant when she noticed it was blurry and cloudy.

“Came down here to see what was going on,” Thatcher said. “It was midnight at that time, and there was a fire in the kitchen.”

She said she and the owners tried to put it out with fire extinguishers but had to call 911.

Luckily, she said no one was working when the fire started, so no one was injured.

Thatcher said the Crete community is showing its support.

“They were concerned about the safety of the employees and making sure that we were OK,” she said.

Thatcher said the owners were already planning to renovate the restaurant in the next six months.

“This kind of gives us a pause to think that over,” she said.

Thatcher said management hasn’t had a chance to consider the specifics but said they will rebuild at the same location.