Rising from the ashes
Posted Jun 14, 2010 03:30:31 AM.
This article is more than 5 years old.
The first business to rise from the ashes of the Campus Court fire re-opens today. Caesar Martini’s will welcome customers for lunch, about eight weeks after a devastating fire destroyed the rest of the plaza where the restaurant resides. The April 22nd blaze caused an estimated three million dollars in damage, destroyed more than half a dozen businesses, and remains under investigation. Caesar Martini’s emerged relatively unscathed thanks to a firewall that virtually kept the flames from affecting the structure until fire crews could get it under control.
Owner Rob Howie admits to a bittersweet feeling as he reopens and his fellow business owners continue efforts to rebuild. One thing Howie is very happy about, however, is to see his “family” reunited. Howie says virtually his entire original staff is returning and he describes a family-like atmosphere with “plenty of hugs and high fives” over the past week as they prepared to reopen.
Howie also has high praise for emergency crews for saving Caesar’s end of the plaza. He credits firefighters for a heroic effort on the morning of the blaze and also expresses appreciation to the community for its help along the way. Howie says the restaurant would have never been in the position to reopen so soon after the fire if not for the support from the community.
Don’t expect a drastically different environment when you visit Caesar Martini’s. Howie admits to making some minor adjustments to the interior, including changing “a few colours. Beyond that, there’s a new menu, cocktail and wine list. But Howie says he and his business partner, Andrew, were reluctant to mess with the “winning formula” that has served Caesar Martini’s so well over the years. Howie says people have come to expect a certain standard and style from Caesar’s and he did not want to disappoint them.
The restaurant reopens for the lunch crowd this morning at 11am.
