Family-owned Texas Restaurant Works To Feed First Responders: 'we're Thankful For Them'

KERRVILLE, TEXAS – Business owners in Texas are rolling up their sleeves to service those who service others. 

As first responders activity to comb done nan debris and destruction, nan owners and unit astatine Billy Gene’s are cooking up Hill Country favorites for nan men and women helping their community.

"On nan time that it happened, we conscionable started," Crystal Smith, who owns Billy Gene’s pinch her husband, told Fox News Digital. "We knew they were coming out, we knew they're going to beryllium moving 24/7, truthful that's nan measurement that we tin thief nan community."

Smith praised nan men and women arriving successful nan area "to thief our small portion of heaven" aft a devastating flood swept done nan area complete nan weekend.

FOX CORPORATION LAUNCHES RELIEF CAMPAIGN FOLLOWING DEVASTATING TEXAS FLOODS

First responders study rising flood waters of nan Guadalupe River aft flash flooding successful Kerr County, Texas, U.S. July 4, 2025 successful a still image from video.   (ABC Affiliate KSAT via REUTERS)

First responders person shown up for nan famous food and, according to Smith, they near afloat and happy. 

"Everyone is very appreciative that it comes in, they want a home-cooked meal. People person been giving america hugs that person travel successful and gotten a repast saying ‘thank you.’ And we're really nan ones to beryllium thankful, we're thankful for them," she said.

Debris leftover from nan devastating flood successful cardinal Texas down Billy Gene's edifice connected July 7, 2025. (Rachel Wolf/Fox News Digital)

TEXAS TURNS TO FAITH AS GOV. ABBOTT DECLARES 'DAY OF PRAYER' AMID DEVASTATING FLOODS

The edifice was founded by her in-laws astir 30 years ago, and erstwhile they decided to discontinue 10 years ago, Crystal and Ty Smith took over. It’s intelligibly a section favorite, arsenic it has been voted Best All-Around Food successful Kerrville for nan past 10 years and has been voted champion chickenhearted fried steak since 2007. 

When asked astir nan willingness of nan organization to not only thief each other, but besides nan first responders, Smith said that it's portion of nan "spirit" of Texas.

"We put connected our boots and we get to work. That's what we do successful nan elevation country, that's what we do successful Texas. That's who we are, that's our spirit," Smith said.

TEXAS SCHOOL GATHERS SUPPLIES TO HELP FLOOD-IMPACTED LOCALS AFTER SPOTLIGHT MOVES ON

Janyce Karcher, who was calved and raised successful Kerrville, Texas, said pinch Fox News Digital while waiting for her husband, a retired firefighter, to meet her astatine Billy Gene’s. 

"This was overmuch worse than what we person ever knowledgeable successful our full life present successful Kerrville," Karcher said. "Even the flood backmost successful 1978 we had almost 20 inches of rain, but it did not do nan demolition and we did not spot nan devastation that we spot present today."

Karcher has religion that Kerrville will get done nan disaster acknowledgment to its "tight-knit community."

"We are Kerrville strong. We’re gonna flooded this," Karcher told Fox News Digital.

Debris from nan flood down Billy Gene's successful Kerrville, Texas, connected July 7, 2025. (Rachel Wolf/Fox News Digital)

CLICK HERE TO GET THE FOX NEWS APP

Smith is nary alien to nan devastation of nan floods. She showed Fox News Digital debris down nan restaurant, including a picnic array that she said was not location anterior to nan flood, contempt landing successful an upright position. Smith said that they are trying to benignant done items successful nan debris to return them to their rightful owners.

While Billy Gene's was not damaged successful nan flood, a unit personnel mislaid everything. She said Billy Gene’s is providing nan worker and her hubby pinch a spot to enactment and covering their nutrient costs.