Update: SCBC staff plans to open the restaurant tomorrow, Feb. 7, and Friday, Feb. 14, to serve a limited menu from 8 a.m. to 1 p.m.
Saddle Creek Breakfast Club’s announcement earlier this week that it will be closed in February is the talk of the local food world.
The restaurant approached the announcement with unusual openness: its chef and co-owner Chase Thomsen is in a treatment center for addiction and mental health issues, according to a second post from his wife, Niki.
While the restaurant is closed, a GoFundMe aims to pay the staff (the restaurant made clear it did not set up the fundraiser and will not receive any of the funds.) As of Thursday afternoon, it had raised more than $14,000.
Flagship Restaurant Group is running a second fundraiser all day today that diners can contribute to by mentioning SCBC during their meal. All the proceeds from those diners’ meals will be donated to the GoFundMe.
I’ve always loved what SCBC does, and what it brings to Omaha. After covering the restaurant industry for more than a decade, it’s undeniable that addiction and mental health issues in the food industry are more common that most diners like to think about. You have to appreciate this family’s candor.
I hope Chase returns to Omaha happy and healthy, and that the restaurant finds continued success once it reopens.
One response to “Saddle Creek Breakfast Club is the news of the week”
Their transparency is refreshing and it also shows serious commitment to dealing with these issues.They have the support of the entire community behind them. Hopeful for a speedy recovery and a comeback.