NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Dozens gathered at the Rock tha Bellz event center in Madison Sunday for Roasted Salemtown’s first pop-up brunch since a shooting broke out at the restaurant on Easter.
The event on Sunday, June 2 aimed to ease staff back into the workflow two months after 33-year-old Allen Beachem was killed at the cafe and seven others were sent to the hospital.
“We still have staff who’s having anxiety attacks, staff who are having nightmares; people still don’t want to be in crowds, so this is kind of our way to test that before we get back into the waters,” Roasted Salemtown Customer Relations Manager Ieshea White explained.
White said Roasted’s staff members are each going through therapy as they work to process what took place on March 31. Since the shooting, White said Roasted employees have received an outpouring of support, including the dozens who showed up to show support at Sunday’s event.
“The message is definitely resilience,” White said. “I came out here this morning and I talked to our line of customers that was lined up down the sidewalk. I said, ‘Today is a day of redemption; today is a day of resilience.’ We are coming back from this, we are coming back to the community, and we are going to continue to give to the community.”
Owner and chef Ericka Fizer, also known as Chef E, remembered what she called her “mama bear” instincts taking over on March 31. She was shot in the leg after attempting to separate the shooter from customers.
Roasted Salemtown owner speaks out following deadly Easter shooting
“I remember him kind of pushing, and I remember somebody going back so far so fast, and I’m thinking to myself, ‘I’m not that strong,’ but I think that was the killer pulling his gun out, so as I pulled apart, he goes back, and then I was shot first, and I didn’t know that until my server told me that she’d seen me get hit first,” Fizer recalled.
For Fizer, food has been a way of bringing comfort to others since a very young age, and it’s a gift she’s eager to share with customers once again.
“My mother wasn’t home much, so how I calmed my sisters and brothers down was feeding them, so that’s what I knew at 8 years old,” Fizer told News 2. “Now I’m older and I know that works, but we change mood with food, we comfort you with food, and we fill you up, as well.”
WATCH: Salemtown restaurant hosts brunch 2 months after deadly Easter shooting
Although Roasted staff aren’t quite ready to return to work full time, they do plan to open a to-go spot in Midtown and host several more pop-up brunches. Kimberly and Eldridge Bell with Rock tha Bellz event center donated their space for Roasted Salemtown to hold its pop-up brunches.
“We pulled up and saw all the cars, it just made my heart happy. I got to peek in a little bit and I just started clapping as soon as I saw everybody. It feels good and I know it makes them feel good,” Kimberly said.
“It was a tragedy what happened, but we need to stand strong with them so Roasted can be built back stronger,” Eldridge added.
A GoFundMe has been set up to support Roasted Salemtown’s staff.
Meanwhile, the man accused of opening fire in the restaurant on Easter, 46-year-old Anton Rucker, was arrested in Kentucky on April 2, according to authorities. He is charged with murder, among other crimes.
Rucker appeared in court for a preliminary hearing on April 19, during which time a judge ruled, due to his extensive criminal history, including being a convicted felon with a federal hold in possession of a gun, he should remain in jail. His case was ultimately bound over to a Davidson County grand jury.
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