MACON, Ga. — S&S Cafeteria has been a Macon community staple for years.
So when the restaurant caught on fire in late September, the community was devasted. However, that same community received bad news when they learned that the repairs would take even longer than initially thought.
In September, CEO Rick Pogue said that some of the repairs from the fire would be in the kitchen. Pogue says the fire, smoke and water caused damage throughout the whole restaurant. He says the repairs and renovations will take longer than expected.
"You wouldn't even think there had been a fire, but the smoke damage went through all the vents and the building, and smoke and water are the biggest part of the damage," Pogue said.
The Bloomfield Drive location is the only one operating in Macon right now, but workers are still working to give great service.
After supporting them for nearly five years, Howard Aycock says it hurts to see one of his favorite restaurants in this situation.
"It's real good eating I enjoy," Aycock said. "I didn't know about the fire, but I knew it just blew my mind that was going on over there, you know, and they're trying to rebuild and try and get things situated."
Pogue said they've started preparing early for the holidays. They'll have several extra hands-on deck at their Bloomfield location, which has seen an increase in business since the fire. Pogue says the Bloomfield location has seen a 35 to 40 percent increase in customers since the riverside location closed.
"We've got an 18-wheeler this year that will be parked out back," Pogue said. "We're doing a lot of stuff for charity as well, during that time. We're working with some different people, but we're going to do the very best we can. We'll be opening early, closing late. We've started taking orders already," Pogue said.