A historic central Kentucky restaurant flooded in mid-February and again two weeks ago has reopoened. Hall’s on the River, in Clark County, is on the site of a tavern established in 1781 by a friend of Daniel Boone’s. Owner Karl Crase said they had to shut down both times.
“We have a lower dining room. It's meeting space and we do wedding receptions and stuff down there. It was totally submerged in February. This last flood was two-and-a-half feet in the upper dining room and on the main floor.”
Crase estimates flood damage and lost business at between $150,000 and $200,000. He bought a stake in the restaurant in 1991. Asked why he hasn’t thrown in the by-now very damp towel, he joked, “Do you know my wife?”
“Life on the river is 99.9 percent beauty and joy and interest. I mean, the energy of water, it attracts people, it relaxes you. You know, it's just wonderful to be around, but that 1/10 of 1 percent is challenging.”
Krase said measures taken after a devastating flood in 2021 limited the damage this year. Still, he said he doesn’t know when they’ll be able to reopen their lower dining room.
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