Fake GoFundMe Removed; New Fundraiser Up For Eatery Destroyed In Fire

HUDSON, IL — Supporters of the beloved downstate restaurant Green Gables Bar & Grill now have a way to support the McClean County business after it was destroyed in a fire, despite an erroneous GoFundMe page that caused confusion for those hoping to donate.

Green Gables management warned supporters Tuesday morning on Facebook not to give to the restaurant through GoFundMe because any fundraising page that was already set up on the site was “fraudulent.”

“The GoFundMe Trust & Safety team removed one fundraiser before any funds were raised and will continue to remove fundraisers without a clear connection to Green Gables Bar and Grill,” said Ese Esan, communications manager for GoFundMe, in an email.

Esan also noted misuse of GoFundMe's fundraising platform is “extremely rare.”

As of Wednesday, one GoFundMe page had been acknowledged by both Green Gables and Esan to be legitimate: “Bring back gables,” organized by Ella Luban, had collected about $1,300 toward its $20,000 goal as of mid-Wednesday.

“A beloved restaurant that our community has loved for decades has been burnt down to ashes,” the fundraising page said. “We want to raise money to bring this amazing restaurant back. To bring the community back together.”

Known for "the best smash burgers known to man," according to its website, the Hudson eatery has been in the same family for three generations, owner Amy Tague said in an interview on WJBC's Scott Miller Show.

Tague's grandparents purchased the business in 1952, when it was a gas station and convenience store, she said. Her grandfather turned it into a grocery store and added a grill, according to Tague, and eventually it became primarily a restaurant.

The blaze began Monday in the restaurant's back compressor room, according to Tague, although she said she's not sure what started the fire. Despite their tireless efforts, firefighters were no match for the combination of high winds and old wood, she said.

Tague told Miller she is unsure if the family will rebuild Green Gables, although they hope to do so.