Without power to operate sewer lift stations, city officials ordered restaurants to close because of concerns about public health.
By RAGHURAM VADAREVU
Published September 9, 2004
CRYSTAL RIVER - A majority of restaurants in the city were open for business Wednesday, a day after officials ordered them shut down due to problems with the city's sewer system.
The order to close came Tuesday after city officials learned that the sewer lift stations, which move wastewater away from homes and restaurants, were without power and could not operate.
"We have enough (lift stations) up and running that it's no longer a hazard to restaurants," City Manager Susan Boyer said Wednesday afternoon, when about 75 percent of the city's 63 lift stations were running.
Progress Energy had notified Boyer early Wednesday morning that power was being restored, prompting her to instruct the Police Department to have notices placed at restaurants informing management about the lifted restrictions.
By Wednesday morning, restaurants began to climb out from the damage wrought by the power outages. Workers had discarded expired and spoiled food. Some restaurants had restocked late Tuesday, while others did so the next morning.
A few owners and managers lamented the missed opportunity. They could have fed the hundreds of residents who emerged from their homes late Monday and Tuesday in search of a hot meal, a cold drink and air conditioning.
"We were ready to feed the people," said Jamie Devivo, the general manager at Chili's on U.S. 19.
As much as he wanted to serve food to the drivers of the "tons of cars coming in and out of the parking lot" on Tuesday, Devivo said he wasn't interested in challenging the city police officer who told him the restaurant had to close.
"I'm not going to argue with them," he said. "We closed."
City police officers did not encounter much resistance to the shutdown order on Tuesday, although they did have to go to a "few restaurants" a second time to get them to close, Boyer said.
With restaurants in the city shuttered, the hungry went just outside the city limits to Beef O'Brady's on State Road 44. The restaurant is not on the city's sewer system, Boyer said.
There were so many patrons at the restaurant that assistant manager Shannon Lowe called it the "busiest day" since the restaurant opened nearly three years ago. Customers waited between 30 minutes to an hour for a table, up from the usual 15 minutes, she said.
"We were hammered," Lowe said.
One owner, however, was frustrated that Frances washed out the lucrative Labor Day weekend.
"It's extremely frustrating. It's a lot of lost revenue," said David Garrick, owner of Cracker's, the popular restaurant on U.S. 19 that overlooks Kings Bay. "A lot of people lost their wages."
Garrick's restaurant opened Wednesday morning, hours after its power had been restored the night before. Workers arrived around 8 a.m. to prepare fresh chicken, tuna and shrimp salads, said Karol Collins, a manager.
"We wouldn't risk anything," she said. "We're not going to take a chance."
