Water was pouring out the front door.
Inside the International Delight Cafe in Bellmore, inches of water filled both floors after a pipe burst during the late-January snowstorm — forcing the popular Bedford Avenue spot to shut down for weeks.
A month later, the café is back.
They reopened today.
Water was everywhere
The building suffered major damage after the sprinkler system froze and a ceiling pipe burst during the storm’s deep freeze.
Co-owner Andrew Spirou wasn’t even there when it happened.
“I found out from people that were posting about it on Facebook,” he told Greater Long Island. “They were saying that there was water pouring out the front door and it wasn’t stopping. My initial reaction was holy crap.”
When Spirou and his partners arrived, the scene was worse than they imagined.
“There was water everywhere,” he said. “There was at least three to four inches of water downstairs and a couple of inches upstairs. Everything was ruined.”
After drying out the space, crews got to work. Floors and walls were ripped out and replaced. Tables and chairs had to be purchased all over again. What followed was weeks of construction — and frustration.
“It was a headache for sure. It was frustrating. But thankfully now we are back open,” Spirou said. “We are happy that we’ve become such an important part of the community. We’re thinking of this now as a grand re-opening.”
Time for tweaks
The unexpected downtime also gave ownership a chance to fine-tune the menu.
“We are a café, not a diner, so we didn’t need that many options,” Spirou said. “We took about 20 of our least popular dishes off, but don’t worry — we still have over 100 choices.”
And after enduring one brutal winter setback, Spirou is hoping Mother Nature gives them a break.
“I’m done with the snow. I think everyone is,” he said with a laugh. “I don’t want to see any more of it.
“We’ve had enough for the next few years.”
Top: International Delight co-owner Andrew Spirou wasn’t at the eatery when the pipe burst, flooding the place out. He found out through Facebook. (Credit: GLI/Andrew Rappaport)
