MASON, Ohio — Quatman Cafe in Mason announced they'd stay open after a man crashed a car into the front of the restaurant early Monday morning.
The restaurant, located in the 220 block of West Main Street, said in a social media post that it had been cleared to open despite losing a few tables.
WCPO 9 was at the scene around 4 a.m. Monday and spoke to the owner, Matt Imm. Imm said he woke up to a phone call from the Mason Police Department about the incident and headed to the cafe to see the damage.
According to the post, this is not the first time the cafe has been affected by a crash. The restaurant said in 2015, a car crashed through the front due to a medical event.
WATCH: Video provided to WCPO by Quatman Cafe shows the moment the car slammed through the front of the building
Imm said structurally, he thinks the restaurant will be fine.
He told us that after the first incident, he added concrete pylons in front of the restaurant to deter any future cars, which he believes helped this time around.
The second crash happened in December 2022, but only one concrete pylon was damaged then, according to Imm.
According to the City of Mason, the building was unoccupied at the time of the crash. The building had moderate damage to the wall facing Main Street.
WATCH: Imm shows us the turn right in front of his business that he believes could be a contributing factor
Imm said he believes the turn on the road leading up to the cafe is dangerous.
"It’s almost a 90-degree turn," Imm said.
He told us others have asked if the city could do anything to help make that turn safer. And now, he and his wife have also reached out to city council.
"We did our part, I don't know how (the city) would want to address (the turn) moving forward," Imm said. "I think any kind of signage would help."
The City of Mason said after investigation, the 27-year-old driver was arrested and charged with receiving stolen property, operating a vehicle while under the influence and failure to comply. A 31-year-old passenger was also arrested for obstructing official business, according to the city. The city said the people in the car were not injured.
Both people were booked into the Warren County Jail, and speed and alcohol are being investigated as contributing factors.
