Tucumcari community rallies around well known ‘Kix on 66' after devastating fire

Yahoo

30-04-2025

TUCUMCARI, N.M. (KRQE) – It used to be a Denny's along Route 66 in northeast New Mexico, but in recent years took on the name Kix on 66. Devastation and heartbreak hit when the diner caught fire earlier this month. Now, the community is rallying around the business.
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Silent auctions, GoFundMes, and other restaurants hosting fundraisers. The Tucumcari community is working together to support a mom-and-pop diner that watched their business go up in flames.
'Owning a restaurant's always been my lifetime goal ever since I was a teenager,' said Donna Halfhill, Co-owner of Kix on 66.
In 2023, Donna Halfhill's truck driving career came to a full stop when she and her husband were handed the keys to Kix on 66, a diner in Tucumcari.
'In my late 50s, my dream come true, and my husband supported my dream. And it just, it was heartbreaking that morning. I was the one that had opened and to stand there and watch my dreams go up in smoke,' said Halfhill. She says it was 3 a.m. on April 4, and she was in the back when she smelt smoke.
Halfhill checked to see if the oven was on fire but found no signs of a spark.
'So, I went up to the kitchen area and it got stronger. The smell got stronger. And then that's when I saw the flames coming out from our hood vents,' said Halfhill.
The co-owner quickly evacuated the building and called 9-1-1.
'The firefighters, you know, did their best on trying to get it put out. But unfortunately, it was pretty much gone,' said Halfhill.
Halfhill said the firefighters speculated the spark started from a ceased-up motor in the hood exhaust system of the diner's kitchen, which spread to its dining area. Leaving behind a trail of destruction.
'The building itself is okay, the outside, the shell, but the inside is totally, we'll have to rebuild the whole inside,' said Halfhill.
The owners are waiting for a demo company to come in since the building's interior has been condemned and the roof is completely gone.
'As bad as it's a heartbreak, it's exciting to know that we can build this our way now,' said Halfhill.
And the community is supporting them in the rebuild, one fundraiser at a time, 'We had volunteers come in to help bus the tables that morning and what have you,' said Halfhill.
A restaurant across the way, Dels, hosted a fundraiser for Kix on Sunday. Providing food and a silent auction, all to raise money for the diner.
'We're just, you know, heartbroken for, not only for us, but the community that relied on us or depended on us and our employees,' said Halfhill.
Halfhill said they were offered another location in town to set up temporarily, but the owners declined that offer because it would not be on route 66, sharing that it just wouldn't be the same.
Kix on 66 hopes to rebuild and have its doors back open in 6 months. If you would like to donate to the restaurant, click here.
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