WAUWATOSA — Café Hollander in the Village of Wauwatosa is back open after 7 weeks of rebuilding following devastating flood damage from the historic August flooding.
Café Hollander celebrated its grand reopening Friday night, welcoming back regular customers who had been eagerly waiting for the restaurant's return. The establishment was severely damaged when rushing flood waters filled the village during the historic summer flood on August 10.
"I'm just so excited that this is back open," regular customer Ann Marie Wick said.
Wick was amazed at how quickly the popular restaurant was rebuilt after the devastating flood damage.
"It just shows how quickly we can rebuild after the floods," Wick said.
She recalled the impact of seeing the flood damage and the restaurant's closure.
"You see the videos, right? How devastating. I was crushed when I saw they closed, but how quickly they reopened. I was so excited," Wick said.
Watch: Customers enjoy Café Hollander patio once again following historic flooding
The flooding had water rushing along the river, but now families like the O'Reilly's can enjoy one of their favorite dinner spots once again.
Neill O'Reilly brought his family to support the restaurant's reopening.
"We're just here to help support them opening back up and show that we value them in the community," O'Reilly said.
As they enjoyed their dinner, O'Reilly couldn't help but think about what had happened less than 2 months ago.
"Walking around here all the time and knowing that this part was under water at certain points is kind of surreal to think about," O'Reilly said.
Finn, Callum, and Gavin were among the families that missed the restaurant during its closure.
When asked if they missed coming to Café Hollander, Finn responded that they used to visit almost every week.
Gavin shared his enthusiasm for one of the restaurant's signature items.
"I like the grilled cheeses a lot," Gavin said. "The cheese is really stretchy."
The celebrations continue this weekend with live music both Saturday and Sunday nights. Restaurant hours have returned to normal operations.
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