More than two months after a cooler leak flooded the A&W restaurant on Rosedale Avenue, the restaurant has reopened.
Jamie Low, owner of the A&W, said the leak was discovered on Nov. 4 at 6 a.m. when a leak developed in a cooler which ran off a water line.
The front of the restaurant was not seriously damaged by the flood, but in the kitchen, the water was around eight centimetres deep.
At first, Low thought the problems could be cleaned up and fixed easily. “Then we walked downstairs and the ceiling was sagging,” he said.
The wood cabinets swelled from the water and had to be discarded. Water had gotten into the drywall and the basement ceiling had to come out.
He said every time something was done, more moisture and more water damage was discovered.
Low said ABK Restoration, the company which took care of the work, was efficient and quick. “ABK is absolutely first class,” he said. “They are professionals.”
The work was completed early in January and on Jan. 10, the restaurant reopened.
Low said he is amazed at the speed with which the work was done, since the drying process alone took two weeks.
During the restoration, Low said parts of the restaurant were brought up to current standards. The building is around 20 years old and some of the standards have changed since it was constructed.
Low said the regular customers at A&W returned as soon as the building was reopened and have given him positive feedback.
“We’re just happy to be back,” he said.