Fresno Gumbo House holding grand opening for new restaurant

FRESNO, Calif. (KFSN) -- For nearly a decade, the Fresno Gumbo House has been serving seafood platters to the people in the Valley from either their home or their food truck.

Now, the husband and wife duo finally got the keys to their first ever brick-and-mortar.

"It's a big dream come true," says Chef 19.

But they said it didn't come easy.

The food truck they just purchased two years prior was completely wrecked in a blink of an eye.

On their way back to Central Valley from the Los Angeles area, a semi-truck plowed into the back of the food truck trailer, causing it to spin out of control and flip over.

They were ok, but the trailer was a total loss.

"We didn't really know where we were going to go from there because we lost everything, basically what we've been building up and working towards," the chef said.

Despite more financial hurdles from the accident and insurance, there was a glimmer of hope.

The family came across a location in downtown Fresno, right near the Chevron off Highway 99 and Fresno Street.

Chef 19 says they knew it was the perfect spot because they needed a bigger kitchen.

He says his goal is to bring the city together with their home-cooked, Louisiana-inspired soul food like gumbo, crab boils and jambalaya, topped with their sizzling SMACK Sauce.

When you walk in, you will notice a wall honoring the people who came before him and even a tribute to the future generation, like his own children.

"Just to pay homage, respect and let the world know that we are going to keep striving and keep doing better through everything they been through," Chef 19 said. "All of the adversity."

On Friday, he was rolling up their sleeves in preparation for the grand opening this weekend.

Chef 19 says he hopes his new location and his story can inspire others to keep hope alive.