STOW, MASS. (WHDH) - Melissa Simon has been dreaming of her own restaurant for the better part of two decades. However, her livelihood was put on hold when severe thunderstorms canceled the grand opening ceremony on Friday night.
“We don’t have electricity and we don’t know when we’re going to be reopening,” she said.
The opening of her new spot Fourth and Field is currently on hold.
“I was looking for a café to extend my business to and grow my business because it was growing,” Simon said.
Heavy rain and strong winds tore through Stow on Friday, toppling trees and knocking out power.
“We finally got to the place that we wanted. At the last minute we were blowing up balloons and that’s when I looked up at the sky,” Simon said. “I noticed that it was getting really really dark and I think something is coming out right now and that’s what it just hit.”
“We were so excited but it took the excitement out of it a little bit,” Simon said
The patio and the front of the restaurant were flooded, and Melissa and her family now have to go back to work and rebuild.
“We just got done with our renovations, and here we are,” Simon said. “Nothing structurally thank God and nobody was hurt.”
Simon said this setback won’t make her give up her dreams.
“It has been my dream, and it was a bit upsetting yesterday to say the least but I always think that things happen for a reason right now and I’m just trying to find the reason to this right now,” Simon said.
(Copyright (c) 2023 Sunbeam Television. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)