After almost two months of cleaning and repairs, the smell of smoke is gone from Kaua‘i Pasta in Lihu‘e. The early-morning electrical fire that destroyed the kitchen on Jan. 18 did not succeed in shutting down the restaurant for long,
After almost two months of cleaning and repairs, the smell of smoke is gone from Kaua‘i Pasta in Lihu‘e.
The early-morning electrical fire that destroyed the kitchen on Jan. 18 did not succeed in shutting down the restaurant for long, as evidenced by today’s re-opening.
Yesterday, staff unloaded produce, turned on the phone and tended to the last-minute cleaning and inspections. Kaua‘i Fire Inspector Bob Craddick gave the green light, noting how far the restaurant had come in a number of weeks.
“They did it fast,” he said.
Owner Russell Stokes said the work required to get the place running again was not that different from what it took to start up one and a half years ago.
“We basically had to overhaul everything,” he said.
The kitchen was replaced, the walls needed new drywall, the antiquated electrical system underwent major repairs, there was air-conditioning and duct work, as well as plumbing fixes and lots of new equipment.
But before anything new could go in, the kitchen had to be gutted and the walls scrubbed clean so that new paint would stick.
“It was almost impossible to get rid of the soot,” said Nicolette Bilodeau, who has worked at Kauai Pasta since it opened.
The back-of-the-house staff remained employed for at least half of the hiatus to bring charred appliances to the dumpsite and “clean, clean, clean.” A few employees were able to pick up shifts at the Kapa‘a location.
Stokes said close to the entire crew is coming back for their old jobs.
When all is said and done, the initial estimate of $200,000 in damages is not far off. Between lost revenue, refurbishing expenses, payroll and incoming bills, the total is at least that much, Stokes said.
• Blake Jones, business writer/assistant editor, can be reached at 245-3681 (ext. 251) or bjones@kauaipubco.com.
