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'It's bittersweet': Ribs BBQ reopens without the Gunter brothers
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After being closed for a month to deal with tragedy, a popular Cedar Crest restaurant has reopened its doors.
On Nov. 9, Ribs BBQ lost two of its owners, brothers Chad, 47, and Brad Gunter, 42, after a semi crashed into their Moriarty blacksmith shop near Interstate 40.
The restaurant reopened Saturday, precisely a month later, which Ribs co-owner Asa Bortz-Johnson said is a coincidence.
鈥淚t鈥檚 bittersweet,鈥� he said about Ribs reopening its doors. 鈥淏eing open is good. It gets us back to our routine and our habits. It brings us all back together at this place.鈥�
However, he added, 鈥淲e鈥檙e inundated with reminders about the loss, so that part of it is challenging.鈥�
Among the reminders, Bortz-Johnson said, was when an employee prepared chips and salsa, which was something Chad helped out with. Or if the heating system stopped working, Brad would do his best to get it operating again.
Everything at the restaurant is a reminder of them because they were involved with everything, Bortz-Johnson said.
Shock
Bortz-Johnson was at home with his wife, Austin, and their children when he heard about the crash at the blacksmith shop.
鈥淗onestly, it was just shock,鈥� he said. 鈥淲e didn鈥檛 know what to think.鈥�
Shortly after the news, signs were posted on Ribs鈥� doors stating it was closed due to a family emergency.
The following Tuesday, Nov. 14, everyone at the restaurant, including its 30 employees, congregated inside to make sense of what happened.
鈥淓veryone brought a loved one so we could just be here and be together,鈥� Bortz-Johnson said. 鈥淎ll of us were trying to process everything.鈥�
Family friend Crystal Franco set up an online donation portal, , for people to contribute to the Gunter and Ribs BBQ families. The goal was to raise $100,000. As of Tuesday afternoon, $147,595 had been raised.
鈥淚t鈥檚 pretty significant,鈥� Bortz-Johnson said, adding that the money helped them keep up with business expenses and payroll.
鈥淭he right thing to do was to keep paying employees,鈥� he said. 鈥淭hat kept our employees housed and clothed and fed and all that.鈥�
This week, Ribs BBQ will be open from 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday through Sunday. The following week, the schedule will return to normal: 4-8 p.m. Thursday and 11 a.m.-8 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
