Billie's Kitchen

04/05/2026

It is with a truly broken heart that I share this…

Billie's Kitchen will not be reopening.

This decision has come with more tears, prayers, and sleepless nights than I can put into words. I fought for this place with everything I had. We tried to hold on, to rebuild, to push through—but the financial losses have become more than we are willing to continue to carry. This economy is tough and we've decided not to keep battling with it.

Billie’s Kitchen was never just a restaurant. It was a my dream. It was a safe place for the neighborhood kids. It was laughter echoing through the room, hugs at the door, familiar faces, and moments that mattered. It was love—real, genuine love—served alongside every meal. And that only existed because of all of you.
And what we built together mattered.

From hosting “Tacos with Cops,” to being part of the Miss Barstow Pageant… from sponsoring local sports teams to celebrating our students with free ice cream for good report cards and achievements… to our “Letters to Santa” event—proudly awarded Best Event of the Year 2022—and A Hoppy Easter Adventure that brought so many smiles to families… to being featured on America’s Best Restaurants… these weren’t just events or milestones.

They were acts of love poured into our community, and I will forever be proud of them.

One thing I am not ready to let go of is our “Letters to Santa” Christmas Party. We are actively looking for partners who may have building space and would be willing to help us continue this special tradition for our community.

To our community… thank you will never feel like enough. You stood by us, lifted us up, prayed for us, and filled our space with life. You made this place what it was, and I will forever be grateful for each and every one of you.

To my employees—from the ground up—you were the heartbeat of Billie's Kitchen. You showed up on the hardest days, gave your all when it wasn’t easy, and poured yourselves into something bigger than a job. You became family. I carry so much love and pride for you with me.

To our event partners—thank you for participating in all of my crazy ideas!

To our party throwers! Thank you for trusting us with your celebrations, your milestones, your memories. Being part of those moments was an honor I will never take for granted.

In the coming days, we will begin liquidating our assets as we close this chapter. Even writing those words is incredibly painful.

I am grieving this loss in a way that is hard to explain. But I also know that what was built here—the love, the connection, the community—does not disappear. It lives on in all of us.

**I must add, that although I never asked for it, a GoFundMe was created on our behalf. If you donated and feel you should be refunded, please reach out to me directly—I want to make sure every contribution is handled with care. You're kindness doesn't go unnoticed and I am forever grateful 🙏 **

If Billie's Kitchen meant something to you, I would love for you to share it—please leave your favorite memories, photos, or moments in the comments.

They would mean more than you know.

Thank you for believing in this dream. Thank you for being part of it. Thank you for loving Billie's Kitchen.

With a heavy, grateful heart,
Billie

12/21/2025

About yesterday! Thank you from the bottom of my heart to everyone who helped us pull off Billie's Kitchen and PartyMania Rentals 5th Annual Winter FunderLand!
There is a lot that goes into this! From storytelling, entertainment, organization, volunteers, letter writers, parents, community sponsors, decorating, wrapping and command and control 😀 None of this would be possible without all of you! God blessed us with this beautiful childrens party and we are so thankful that He uses us to spread Holiday cheer and the True meaning of Christmas 🎄 🙏 Christ is King

12/20/2025

Today's the day! We can’t wait to see you all! Please read completely!

If you're children wrote a Letter to Santa 🎅 and you did not receive their invitation, please understand that we DID get ALL of them a personalized gift! Bring them to the party 🥳
If you didn't write letters, you are also welcome to attend. Your child will receive a gift and can enjoy the party, too!
We have lots of fun planned for you all to enjoy ✨️🙌
PartyMania Rentals
There are 2 lines, one for Letter writers and one for those who want to join us! Everyone will be treated like family here!

12/13/2025

⚠️HELPERS⚠️
We have 72 Letter's to Santa ready for friends to adopt and we're only 7 days away from our 5th Annual Letters to Santa Christmas Party 🥳
⚠️WE NEED YOUR HELP!⚠️
CALLING ALL CHRISTMAS HELPERS 🎄 Please contact me (760-987-1513 Billie Braun-Adams), Janet Mcallister or Isaiah Lulu Quesada to bless some children with a gift just for them!
Thank you everyone who is already participating!

12/12/2025

It's that time CALLING ALL CHRISTMAS HELPERS 📢
WE NEED YOUR HELP!
We have over 100 kids Letters to Santa for you to adopt ❤️
🎄 Please contact me (Billie 760-987-1513) or Janet Mcallister to bless some children with a gift just for them!
Thank you everyone who is already participating
** anonymous elves pictured adopted multiple letters**

12/05/2025

🎅✨ We are SO excited to receive your children’s Letters to Santa! ✨🎅 (All the information is below)

If you haven’t brought your child’s letter yet, please do so by TOMORROW — December 6th so they can receive a personalized response from Santa, including their official Ticket to our Winter FunderLand! 😀

Billie’s Kitche & PartyMania Rentals is thrilled to host our
🎄 5th Annual Letters to Santa Christmas Party! 🥳

🚨 PLEASE READ COMPLETELY 👇

✅ Bring your child’s completed Letter to Santa for drop-off
✅ A sample letter is attached
❗ We will NOT be providing blank letters this year due to lack of a consistent pickup location
✅ Please be sure ALL information from the sample letter is included

📬 Drop-Off Instructions:
You may bring your child and their letter and drop it
THROUGH THE DOOR!

📍 BILLIE’S KITCHEN
1807 E. Main Street, Barstow
🚪 Look for the BIG RED DOOR!

📅 Letters MUST be received by December 6th
to guarantee your child receives their official invitation to Winter FunderLand!

❄️🎟️ Our Winter FunderLand awaits on DECEMBER 20th!

⚠️ Important Note:
We are NOT yet open for business, but we WILL still be hosting our annual Letters to Santa Christmas Party! 🎅

12/04/2025

The clock is ticking! Get your Letter's to Santa on down to 1807 E Main St!

Billie's Kitchen & PartyMania Rentals is excited to host our 5th Annual Letters to Santa Christmas Party 🥳
PLEASE READ COMPLETELY 👇

Bring your children down to drop off their "Letters to Santa"!
A sample letter is attached. We will not be providing blank letters this year (due to not having a consistent pick up point) please include ALL of the information from the sample letter.

You can bring your child & their letter and drop it
THROUGH THE DOOR!

BILLIE'S KITCHEN
1807 E MAIN ST BARSTOW!
LOOK FOR THE BIG RED DOOR!

LETTERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY DECEMBER 6TH for your child to receive their very own invitation to our Winter FunderLand!

Our Winter FunderLand awaits you, on DECEMBER 20th!

(WE ARE NOT YET OPEN FOR BUSINESS, BUT WE WILL STILL HAVE OUR ANNUAL LETTERS TO SANTA CHRISTMAS PARTY!)

12/01/2025

Billie's Kitchen & PartyMania Rentals is excited to host our 5th Annual Letters to Santa Christmas Party 🥳
PLEASE READ COMPLETELY 👇

Bring your children down to drop off their "Letters to Santa"!
A sample letter is attached. We will not be providing blank letters this year (due to not having a consistent pick up point) please include ALL of the information from the sample letter.

You can bring your child & their letter and drop it
THROUGH THE DOOR!

BILLIE'S KITCHEN
1807 E MAIN ST BARSTOW!
LOOK FOR THE BIG RED DOOR!

LETTERS MUST BE RECEIVED BY DECEMBER 6TH for your child to receive their very own invitation to our Winter FunderLand!

Our Winter FunderLand awaits you, on DECEMBER 20th!

(WE ARE NOT YET OPEN FOR BUSINESS, BUT WE WILL STILL HAVE OUR ANNUAL LETTERS TO SANTA CHRISTMAS PARTY!)

10/16/2025

Spoiler Alert ⚠️
Billie's Kitchens remodel will showcase some well known Route 66 relics!

"The Lost Hog of Oro Grande: A Route 66 Legend"

Along historic Route 66 in Oro Grande once stood the Lost Hog—later known as the Iron Hog Saloon—a biker bar famous for its wild charm and even wilder owner. Locals still tell stories of how travelers could trade license plates for beers, a quirky tradition that turned the walls and ceiling into a patchwork of plates from across America.

The saloon survived decades of desert winds, roaring engines, and even a devastating fire before finally closing its doors in 2018. But its spirit lives on just down the road—Billie’s Kitchen is now proudly displaying '66' of the original license plates rescued from the Iron Hog’s walls, keeping a piece of Route 66 history alive for the next generation of travelers.

10/15/2025

I received a call from the Daily Press on Monday morning. I can't explain how weird all of this still feels! I want to say THANK YOU, for rallying behind me 🙏 God is good

They wanted to write an article about Lorena Hans GoFundMe that she lovingly started to assist me in reopening Billie's Kitchen. Here is the article 😀

"One moment, Billie's Kitchen in Barstow was serving up burgers and burritos to a packed lunch crowd; the next, doors were closed with a tentative reopening date constantly postponed.
According to owner Billie Braun-Adams, 51, things changed overnight.
The successful COVID-19 restaurant outgrew its 24-person capacity and had plans to expand. Billie's Kitchen officially closed in June 2024 to begin renovations in the former Sanchos Tacos building, which was abandoned for over a decade before Billie's moved in.
Braun-Adams told the Daily Press she fell into a "financial rut" sooner than expected and is now at a crossroads.
"Do I give up on a dream that I've had almost my whole adult life, or do I keep fighting?"
The Barstow community has recently come together to support the reopening of Billie's Kitchen, which Braun-Adams says caught her totally off guard.
Community member and friend Lorena Hans set up a GoFundMe to help pull Billie's out of the red.
This impromptu help put Braun-Adams's situation into perspective, she told the Daily Press, fighting back tears. Failure was never in the picture for the Barstow local, and accepting the much-needed help has been hard, but Braun-Adams is grateful and hopes this can help resurrect her dream job.
Braun-Adams is nearly at her financial goal but still needs help to finish the final, expensive steps before reopening, which she estimates are about $15,000.
"If you’ve ever enjoyed a meal, a smile, or a memory at Billie’s Kitchen," Hans wrote in a statement accompanying the online fundraiser, "please consider donating. Every dollar helps bring Billie one step closer to reopening her doors and continuing to pour love, kindness, and great food back into the Barstow community."
Before Braun-Adams opened her dream restaurant, she worked at Fort Irwin as a supply logistics specialist for 20 years. She then owned Busy Bee's Cleaning Service, working hard to open the restaurant of her dreams on her own, saving and pinching where needed.
Billie's Kitchen quickly became recognized as an important staple in the community when it opened in January 2021 due to its community events and, more importantly, its delicious comfort food.
Last year, Billie's Kitchen was featured in an episode of America's Best Restaurants.
This series spotlights restaurant owners for episodes aired on social media channels and the company’s website. Restaurants featured on the roadshow are found through customer nominations or by a restaurant applying to be featured at americasbestrestaurants.com.
Braun-Adams said the network interviewed her last February as the restaurant was getting ready for its transition phase. She says she plans to invite the network back for a follow-up episode once the restaurant is back up and running.

Billie's Kitchen was once the epicenter for all things community. It was a gathering spot for after school, a place for family celebration, a community sponsor and a free meeting/event space.
Braun-Adams says her community-driven events kept Barstow families coming back for more.
These include the Letters to Santa Christmas Party, which amassed 328 kids last year, even though the restaurant was technically closed. This huge annual event was awarded Event of the Year by the Barstow Chamber of Commerce in 2022.
Other gatherings included an Easter celebration, “Tacos with Cops” events, and meet-and-greets with local persons of interest.
Additionally, the eatery has sponsored local sports teams and pageant contestants, rewarded kids with free ice cream for good grades, and fed unhoused neighbors.
"And that’s just the tip of the iceberg," Braun-Adams said.
"At the end of the day, my story is about community," she told the Daily Press. The new restaurant location is five times the size of the previous location, inviting more community members to attend free events, which, Braun-Adams says, is at the heart of Billie's Kitchen."

https://gofund.me/7b3e2fcc0

Billie Braun-Adams has been a huge supporter for everyone in Barstow. Anytime,… Lorena Hans needs your support for Help Miss Billie Reopen Billie’s Kitchen ❤️

10/14/2025

SOLD

$60 each (retail $198)
2 ~ deep freezer chests
Work great!
Pick up Only ~ No Holds
Text 760-987-1513 serious inquiries