ROANOKE, Va. – A restaurant in the heart of Roanoke’s Grandin Village damaged by fire is now open again.
On The Rise Bakery reopened Thursday morning after seven months of repairs. The restaurant had been shut down ever since a fire gutted its neighboring restaurant, The Community Inn, overnight Easter Sunday.
Co-owner Teal Batson said On The Rise got clearance to open from the health inspector Wednesday, and staff started preparing food for its opening day immediately after the decision. She says she’s happy to be back in the community after waiting and working for so long to reopen.
“It’s like putting on an old pair of shoes. We just hopped right at it and here we are," Batson said. "The cooking wasn’t nearly as much of a struggle as it was to get the building ready for the reopening. The food service end comes easy.”
On The Rise’s owners originally hoped to reopen at the same time as The Community Inn, but the neighboring restaurant still has a few more weeks worth of construction left.