'Perfect Combination Of Terrible': Greg's Kitchen In Manayunk Reopening Soon Nearly Year After Hurricane Ida
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- The road to recovery from Hurricane Ida continues to be long and grueling for those hit hard by the storm. There is light at the end of the tunnel for some small businesses in Philadelphia's Manayunk neighborhood.
For one Main Street business, getting it back up and running has been a challenge. Now, workers are one step closer to reopening, something they hoped would happen for months.
"It was like this perfect combination of terrible," Greg Gillian, owner of Greg's Kitchen, said.
"Reopening Soon."
The sign is posted front and center outside Greg's Kitchen in Manayunk.
"Everybody's like, 'What does soon mean?' And I am like soon means soon," Gillian said.
It's been nearly a year since the remnants of Hurricane Ida caused the Schuylkill River to overflow and sent floodwaters into his basement. He is one of the last businesses to reopen and has been taking it one day at a time.
As you can see now, it's been a working progress.
"Businesses are shut down so I am fairly fortunate that I get to reopen," Gillian said, "but I never thought it would be nine months. But here we are."
Owning a business hasn't been easy for Gillian and others on Main Street.
First, they battled the effects of COVID-19, and then Ida, a second gut punch.
"This is small business, mom and pops shop, Main Street America, right here in the heart of Philly and these businesses are resilient," Manayunk Development Corporation Director of Operations Leo Dillinger said.
Resilient and standing strong. They're working endlessly to stay afloat and striving for normalcy once again.
"I am hoping once we get back into the business that there isn't a third thing that happens," Gillian said, "but you never know."
As business owners remain cautiously optimistic about this hurricane season, they are just happy to see the lively streets by the river alive again.
"It is impressive to see how much foot traffic we have seen since COVID," Dillinger said. "I mean, people did not forget about Main Street Manayunk."
Gillian hopes to start serving breakfast classics and cold sandwiches on Friday, June 24. That will be just in time for the arts festival.
