Two popular BBQ spots in North Texas are cleaning up after pipes burst due to the weekend's cold weather.
“For something like this to happen, it really throws a wrench into our plans and our dinner service,” said Brandon Hurtado, CEO and Owner of Hurtado’s Barbecue.
On Friday, during lunch at the Hurtado’s Barbecue in Little Elm, the ceiling collapsed in the restaurant's prep room where cooks prepare some of their meats, and store paper goods. Water rushed out into the dining room and customers were forced to evacuate.
No injuries were reported and the restaurant's kitchen was not damaged. Management said they did have to toss out meat and paper goods from the prep room. Since then, the staff has been cleaning for several days. Tomorrow, the restaurant will re-open for dinner.
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“It is definitely frustrating as a business owner. I mean in the restaurant industry we have Covid, we have meat prices hiking, you have all these different obstacles to overcome and then you have this. So just one more obstacle to overcome, “ said Hurtado.
At Heim’s Barbecue in Dallas, an early morning employee walked into the smoke room and heard a noise and then, the restaurant's pipe burst. Travis Heim, co-owner of Heim's Barbeque, said he's thankful the employee was there early.
“We were closing at 3 p.m. on Christmas eve, obviously we close on Christmas day so if this had happened five, six hours later it could have flooded the whole restaurant, and been a real big problem. So we are thankful for that happening,” said Heim.
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That employee ran to shut off the water, averting further damage. It's been cleaned up and Heim's is now back open for business.
The restaurant plans to replace the pipes soon.
“We got it patched up today," added Heim. "We are open for business."
