- April 26, 2024
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For a few days, staff at the Bull Creek Fish Camp restaurant wore rubber boots to do their job: The restaurant building was still flooded from Irma and a nor’easter, and although they were serving outside, prepping the food meant using equipment that was inside.
Now — after heavy rains that re-flooded the structure Oct. 7-8 — that water has receded, and the restaurant reopened Oct. 11.
“Compared to two days ago, it’s receded tremendously,” said Chris Zwirn, who runs the restaurant, which sits on county-owned property.
The restaurant lost only one piece of equipment in the storm — a beer cooler — and had no serious damage, Zwirn said. A couple of doors swelled and had to be replaced, and the staff cleaned the entire building with mold-killer and bleach.
“The building was built with the knowledge that it was going to take on water at some point: There’s no insulation in the walls; there’s no drywall,” Zwirn said. “You would think from pictures of it you’d have to scrape the building, but no — everything is in good shape.”
Zwirn plans to have the air tested for mold, he said.
The downtime — 30 days out of the last 32 — cost the restaurant about $1,000 per day, Zwirn said, but staff members are returning.
“It’s not been fun, but it’s definitely been a learning experience,” he said. “We’re just getting back open. ... There’s not very much out here for (residents), and this is an awesome community. The offer of help and prayers that we’ve gotten and heard from everybody have been amazing.”
