A new chapter has begun for M's Pub in the Old Market. During a soft opening Monday night the iconic restaurant honored the Omaha firefighters who fought the January, 2016 fire that destroyed the building.
The restaurant hasn't let that day stop them, though. They've spent months rebuilding the it to get it ready for a reopening.
Monday night, they held an invite only soft opening, bringing people who helped rebuild the restaurant. "When I saw those firefighters sitting there, I was like, 'That is so special. That is wonderful,'" former M's Pub employee Stacie Lamb told 6 News.
The nearly dozen firefighters sitting at the bar seemed to add to Monday's festivities. They were guests of honor and received their meal and drinks on the house.
"They fought so hard. They risked their lives. It's the least we can do," owner Ann Mellen said. The firefighters told 6 News they understood how incredibly special it was for them to be in attendance.
"We'd never look for any kind of recognition or any kind of pat on the back. It's just not the kind of people that we are, but we know this is very special for the Old Market," Omaha firefighter James Bosanek said.
For many on the department, walking back through the doors holds a special meaning. Many firefighters aren't able to revisit calls they've had, but the reopening is an exception they'll all make.
"We'd come down here on our days off. Some of us came here to our first date with our wives, so M's Pub is a very special place for us just like it is for everybody else in Omaha."
The new stories and restaurant are erasing the memory of one of the saddest days in the Old Market's history. "It's still the same feel. There's just something about this place that transcends the building in a sense. There's almost like a ghost, a very big ghost that watches over this place," Lamb said.
The restaurant opens to the public Wednesday night.
(Photo 6 News)