BELLEVUE, Neb. (KMTV) – A fire at Stella's Bar and Grill Wednesday morning has forced the beloved Bellevue restaurant to close indefinitely.
- Fire at Stella's Bar and Grill forces beloved Bellevue restaurant to close indefinitely after structural damage
- Delivery driver discovered the fire Wednesday morning; investigators believe oil-soaked towels spontaneously combusted in basement
- Regular customers disappointed to find their weekly dining spot closed, with no reopening timeline announced
BROADCAST TRANSCRIPT:
A fire at Stella's Bar and Grill Wednesday morning has forced the beloved Bellevue restaurant to close indefinitely.
The fire was discovered by a food delivery driver around 7 a.m. Wednesday morning. While the exterior of the building appears undamaged, the Bellevue Fire Department reports significant structural, electrical and HVAC damage inside.
"This is our ideal spot to go to get a good burger, I'm kind of sad, I'm going have to find somewhere else to eat in Bellevue," said Josh Hardy, a regular customer who stops by weekly for lunch.
The fire department says the incident remains under investigation, but they believe it was an accidental fire caused by spontaneous combustion of oil-soaked towels in the basement.
Stella's posted on Facebook that they were heartbroken but thankful everyone was safe. The restaurant, which has been a staple in the Bellevue community, has not announced a timeline for reopening.
Multiple neighbors stopped by throughout the day hoping to grab lunch, only to discover the closure.
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