MATHIS, Tex. — A Mathis restaurant, that's been recognized by Texas Monthly magazine as one of the state's top, new barbecue joints, now needs to make some repairs.
Butters Bar-B-Que was badly damaged by a hit and run driver Sunday night, so it's probably a good thing the restaurant is closed Monday through Wednesday. However, owner Andrew Soto won’t let a missing wall won't stand in the way of good bar-b-que.
“There was a point in time when we didn't have any of these walls at all,” said Soto. “One wall down isn't really going to stop us.”
In two years, Soto has helped build Butter’s into one of the state's best new bar-b-que spots, but Sunday night a truck driver nearly destroyed his life's work.
“We think he tried to cut the light, came in through the front,” said Soto. The back end of his trailer hitched onto our wall.
That patio wall isn't there anymore. Nearby security cameras captured images of a late 1990s Peterbilt truck, but no license plate or other identifying information. Soto wants the driver to take responsibility for their actions.
“Come forward and do the right thing,” said Soto. “We as business owners, small business owners at that, we don't have a lot and what we do have is very important to us and very valuable to us.”
Despite the damage. Soto expects Butter's to be open for business at 11 a.m. Thursday, just like every week.
“It's a speed bump for us but we're going to get past it, just like everything else,” said Soto. “Just like anything else, we're going to operate business as usual.”
Soto is keeping his sense of humor about the whole thing. He says when Butter's reopens Thursday, he'll have something new on the menu. He calls it the "Hole in the Wall Special".
If you have any information about the hit and run driver, call the Mathis Police Department at 361-547-2113.
