The restaurant industry certainly took a hit during the pandemic, but Hoagies Diner on the corner of the bypass and O'Brien Street in North Bay was hit especially hard.
Aside from the challenges of laying off staff, closing dining rooms, and providing takeout-only service, the longtime North Bay restaurant was forced to close due to a fire on April 21, 2021, which caused tremendous damage to the entire building.
That blaze was among three suspicious fires that occurred early that morning in North Bay. The Hoagies diner fire started in an apartment on the south side of the O'Brien Street building that day.
"Because I don't own the building we had to wait for the landlord's insurance company to do their work," explained Kate Kuntz, owner of Hoagies Diner.
"They had to take down the burnt part of the building, replace furnaces, hot water tanks, there was a lot to do and that is what took all the time."
See related: Hoagies Diner still on the mend after fire
See related: Police investigating the cause of today's early morning fires
With restaurants already battling the issue of staffing, Kuntz was forced to find or replace workers who had not worked in the restaurant for a year.
"Only two staff came back, and the rest of the staff is all new," admitted Kuntz.
"My original staff could not wait of course because we did not know when we would be open so they had to get jobs somewhere else, and they are being treated very well where they are which is great."
The restaurant re-opens on Monday, April 4 with hours from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m. to start.
"We'll get our feet under us and then open evenings in May. Thank you all for being patient," she said.
Kuntz says she is excited to see her old customers once again.
"People have been asking, 'when are you going to open? when are you going open?' and I could not even give them a day, week, or what month we are opening, so we are just so excited to start talking to people and seeing them come in. It is going to be so much fun," she said.
"Now I can just enjoy the business instead of the fear if we are going to be open at all."
