Six months and $300,000 later, Uncle Loui's Café, 520 E. Fourth St., is almost ready to reopen.
Owner Penny Briddell said she hopes to open the doors next Thursday after recreating the old Uncle Loui's, right down to the coffee cups.
The 66-seat restaurant, known for its pancakes and other breakfast fare, will be a carbon copy of the eatery before the fire. She described the décor as "very café." Flooring, countertops and booths will all be identical to the old place, Briddell said.
"It was really important for us to open it the way it was because there aren't many mom-and-pop places left," she said.
The menu items will remain unchanged, too. Also, "it'll be the same staff. We're kind of like a family," she added.
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Grand opening week will begin Nov. 4. Events will include a pancake-eating contest at 10 a.m. on Nov. 9.
Fire gutted the building April 19. No one was hurt, but the restaurant was destroyed. Apparently it was an electrical fire that started in the refrigerator, Briddell said.
The entire interior has been rebuilt. Briddell said she has invested $300,000 in restoring the business.
The restaurant will be open from 6 a.m. to 3 p.m. for breakfast and lunch seven days a week.
